ch 21 Flashcards
Fuels located more than 6 ft (2 m) off the ground, usually part of or attached to trees.
Aerial fuels
A direct method of suppressing a wildland or ground cover fire that involves two teams of fire fighters establishing anchor points on each side of the fire and working toward the head of the fire until the fire gets “pinched” between them; also known as the pincer attack.
Anchor
A strategic and safe point from which to start constructing a fire control line. It
is used to reduce the chance of fire fighters being flanked by fire.
Anchor point
A structure, part of a structure, or general geographic location within a fire scene, in which the “point of origin” of a fire or explosion is reasonably believed to be located. (NFPA 901)
Area of origin
A fire set along the inner edge of a fire control line to consume the fuel in the path of a wildland fire or change the direction of force of the fire’s convection column. (NFPA 901)
Backfire
A portable fire extinguisher usually consisting of a 5-gal (19-L) water tank that is worn on the user’s back and features a hand-powered piston pump for discharging the water.
Backpack fire extinguisher
An area that has already been burned.
Black
A foam system that combines air under pressure with foam solution to create foam. (NFPA 1901, 1906)
Compressed air foam system
A long-handled rake constructed with hardened triangular-shaped steel teeth that is used for raking a fire control line down to soil with no subsurface fuel, for digging, for rolling burning logs, and for cutting grass and small brush.
Council rake
An area, as defined by the authority having jurisdiction [typically a width of 30 ft (9 m) or more], between an improved property and a potential wildland fire where combustible materials and vegetation have been removed or modified to reduce the potential for fire on improved property spreading to wildland fuels or to provide a safe working area for fire fighters protecting life and improved property from wildland fire. (NFPA 1051)
Defensible space
A method of wildland fire attack in which fire fighters focus on containing and extinguishing the fire at its burning edge.
Direct attack
A list of situations published by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and used to assess whether or not a wildland firefighting assignment is safe to conduct.
Eighteen watch out situations
Fuels that ignite and burn easily, such as dried twigs, leaves, needles, grass, moss, and light brush.
Fine fuels
A narrow point of fire whose extension is created by a shift in wind or a change in topography.
Finger
Comprehensive term for all constructed or natural barriers and treated fire edges used to control a fire. (NFPA 901)
Fire control line
An item of protective equipment configured as an aluminized tent utilized for protection, by means of reflecting radiant heat, in a fire entrapment situation. (NFPA 1500)
Fire shelter
A wildland firefighting technique that involves setting a fire along the inner edge of a fire control line to consume the fuel between a fire control line and the fire’s edge.
Firing out
A direct method of suppressing a wildland or ground cover fire that involves placing a suppression crew on one flank of a fire.
Flanking attack
The edge between the head and heel of the fire that runs parallel to the direction of the fire spread.
Flank of the fire
The extent to which fuels are tightly packed together.
Fuel compactness
The relative closeness of wildland fuels, which affects a fire’s ability to spread from one area of fuel to another.
Fuel continuity
The amount of moisture present in a fuel, which affects how readily the fuel will ignite and burn.
Fuel moisture
The position of a fuel relative to the ground.
Fuel orientation
The amount of fuel present in a given area.
Fuel volume
An area of unburned fuels.
Green
A fire that burns loose debris on the surface of the ground.
Ground cover fire
Partly decomposed organic material on a forest floor; a type of light fuel.
Ground duff
A hand tool used to grub out heavy brush to create a fire control line; also known as an adze hoe.
Hazel hoe
The main or running edge of a fire; the part of the fire that spreads with the greatest speed.
Head of the fire
Fuels of a large diameter, such as large brush, heavy timber, snags, stumps, branches, and dead timber on the ground. These fuels ignite and are consumed more slowly than light fuels.
Heavy fuels
The side opposite the head of the fire, which is often close to the area of origin.
Heel of the fire
A job and training reference for personnel operating at a wildland fire. It may also be used for all-hazard incident response.
Incident Response Pocket Guide
A method of wildland fire attack in which the control line is located along natural fuel breaks, at favorable breaks in the topography, or at considerable distance from the fire, and the intervening fuel is burned out.
Indirect attack
An unburned area surrounded by fire.
Island
Fuels that provide vertical continuity between the ground and the tops of trees or shrubs, thereby allowing fire to move with relative ease.
Ladder fuels
A mnemonic that stands for Lookouts, Communications, Escape routes, and Safety zones. Fire fighters should ensure that all components are in place before attacking a wildland fire to reduce the risk associated with fighting these types of fires.
LCES
A hand tool used for constructing fire control lines and overhauling wildland fires. One side of the head consists of a five-toothed to seven-toothed fire rake; the other side is a hoe.
McLeod
A method of attack in which the control line is located parallel to the fire edge, at a distance of about 5 to 50 ft (1.5 to 15 m) from the fire. The intervening fuel usually burns out as the fire moves alongside the fire control line but can also burn out with the main fire.
Parallel attack
A deep indentation of unburned fuel along the fire’s perimeter, often found between a finger and the head of the fire.
A supplemental mechanism that enables a fire engine to operate a pump while the engine is still moving.
Power take-off shaft
A hand tool that combines an adze and an axe for brush removal.
Pulaski axe
The side opposite the head of the fire. Also called the heel of the fire.
Rear of the fire
A hand tool used for constructing fire control lines and overhauling wildland fires. The tool is similar to an oversized garden hoe.
Reinhart
The ratio between the amount of water vapor in the gas at the time of
measurement and the amount of water vapor that could be in the gas when condensation begins, at a given temperature. (NFPA 79)
Relative humidity
Debris resulting from natural events such as wind, fire, snow, or ice breakage; or from human activities such as building or road construction, logging, pruning, thinning, or brush cutting. (NFPA 1144)
Slash
A new fire that starts outside areas of the main fire, usually caused by flying embers and sparks.
Spot fire
Partially decomposed matter that lies beneath the ground, such as roots, moss, duff, and decomposed stumps.
Subsurface fuels
Fuels that are close to the surface of the ground, such as grass, leaves, twigs, needles, small trees, logging slash, and low brush. Also called ground fuels.
Surface fuels
A set of systematically organized rules developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service task force to reduce danger to firefighting personnel.
Ten standard firefighting orders
The land surface configuration. (NFPA 1051)
Topography
Land in an uncultivated, more or less natural state and covered by timber, woodland, brush, and/or grass. (NFPA 901)
Wildland
An unplanned fire burning in vegetative fuels. (NFPA 1051)
Wildland fire
The line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. (NFPA 5000)
Wildland/urban interface
An area where improved property and wildland fuels meet with no clearly defined boundary. (NFPA 5000)
Wildland/urban intermix
