Phx Fire Vol 2 (Deck 9) Flashcards
202.14B - 202.16
202.15
Brush/Wildland Fire
Describe the purpose of the Phoenix Regional Standard Operating Procedures for brush/wildland fire incidents.
The purpose is to serve as an operational guide for serious dry vegetation fires encountered in the desert areas near Phoenix and surrounding communities.
Primary objective for brush/wildland fire incidents?
FF safety.
Define Air Attack.
Aerial reconnaissance aircraft which can provide information from above the fire by an observer.
How do brush/wildland fires on state, tribal, or federal lands differ in terms of resources for suppression and command needs?
May have resources respond for suppression and command needs from agencies like the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, BIA, BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and may include engines, hand crews, aircraft, and supervisory personnel.
Agency specific guidelines?
Additional training, capabilities, and guidelines specific to their agency, and may constantly staff water tenders and brush trucks during brush fire season as conditions dictate.
Overview for brush/wildland fire incidents.
The desert areas near Phoenix and surrounding communities occasionally see vegetation fires that grow in complexity and resource needs, often burning across jurisdictional boundaries with state, tribal, and federal lands, creating a low frequency, high risk incident for personnel, with FF safety as the primary objective.
Role of a Type 1 Engine in FF operations.
Typical structure engine with a crew of 4 personnel, a minimum 400-gallon tank, and a 1000 gpm pump.
Function of a Water Tender in FF?
Water transport and delivery fire apparatus capable of carrying 1000 to 5000 gallons of water, with pumps ranging from 50 to 1500 gpm.
How does a SEAT (Single Engine Air Tanker) contribute to FF efforts?
Fixed-wing aircraft capable of transporting and delivering fire retardant solutions of about 800 gallons, similar to a crop duster.
Define a Wildland Fire.
Non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland, demanding significant command and support staff to manage and often requiring resources from other fire departments and government agencies.
First alarm brush assignment.
5 engines, 4 brush trucks, 2 water tenders, 3 command officers, 1 shift commander, 1 command van, 1 safety officer, 1 rehab unit, 1 canteen unit, 1 rescue (or ambulance), and 2 CXX19 units.
Second alarm brush assignment or greater.
5 engines, 4 brush trucks, 2 water tenders, staff and command officer response, port-a-potties, refueling truck, mechanics, radio technician, multiple spare radios, all available CXX19s, and weather reports.
Define PPE brush/wildland fire.
Specialized gear designed for brush/wildland fire suppression, as structural turnout coats, pants, and boots are not suitable for this environment.
Brush assignment.
2 engines, 2 brush trucks, 1 water tender, 1 command officer, and 1 rescue (or ambulance).
Brush/wildland fire protective ensemble.
Helmet, fireive brush shirt/jacket, fire resistive brush pants, eye and hearing protection, work gloves, and leather ankle high boots.
How should personnel stay hydrated during wildland fire fighting?
Access to drinking water, carry canteens or similar water containers, and can carry sterile water bottles in their brush jacket pockets.
Define LCES.
Lookouts, Communication, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones, and it is maintained by Company Officers to ensure crew safety.
10 Standard Fire Orders?
- Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
- Know what the fire is doing at all times.
- Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
- Identify escape routes and safety zones and make them known.
- Post lookouts when there is poss.
- Be Alert. Keep Calm. Act Decisively.
- Maintain prompt communications w. adjoining forces.
- Give clear instructions & ensure they are understood.
9.Maintain control of your forces at all times. - Fight fire aggressively, providing for safety first.
Describe the eighteen watch out situations for brush/wildland fires.
- Not scouted/sized-up.
- In country not seen in daylight.
- Safety zones/escape routes not identified.
- Unfamiliar w/ Wx & local factors influencing fire behavior.
- Uniformed on strategy, tactics, & hazards.
- Instructions/assignments not clear.
- No comms link w/ crew/supervisor.
- Constructing line w/o safety anchor point.
- Building fire line downhill w/ fire below.
- Attempting frontal assault on the fire.
- Unburned fuel b/w you & the fire.
- Cannot see the main fire or in contact w/ anyone who can.
- On a hillside where rolling material can ignite fuel below.
- Wx is getting hotter & drier.
- Wind increases &/or changes direction.
- Getting frequent spot fires across the line.
- Terrain & fuels make escape to safety zones difficult.
- Taking a nap near the fire line.
Critical factors that affect the fire behavior of a wildland fire?
Wx, fuel, and topography.
Do morning winds and afternoon winds follow a specific pattern during a normal day?
Yes, morning winds are typically East to West, and afternoon winds are usually West to East.
Red Flag Warning.
By the National Weather Service, indicates the presence of conditions that may substantially affect brush/wildland fire incidents during a specific period.
Impact of humidity on fire spread during a normal day.
Slows down in the evening as humidity increases (25%) and increases during the midmorning hours as humidity decreases (15%).
Importance of maintaining control of forces at all times?
Crucial for ensuring effective and safe FF operations.
How should brush/wildland fire be fought?
Aggressively, with safety being the first priority.
Impact of terrain and fuels on escape to safety zones.
Make escape to safety zones difficult, posing a significant challenge for FF operations.
Impact of hot and dry conditions.
Produce extremely rapid-fire spread, with a slight decrease in relative humidity causing a significant increase in fire intensity.
Define the term ‘crowning.
Burning uphill much more rapidly than downhill, tending to create its own convection currents and start spot fires a considerable distance down the receding slope.
How should the first arriving company officer address the values at risk when assuming Command in a wildland fire setting?
Life safety, structures threatened, fire control, and property conservation benchmarks, with a plan that includes Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES) for FFs and equipment.
What needs to be noted on area maps?
Natural fire breaks & potential exposure problems, particularly with regard to access roads and accessible areas where apparatus may travel.
Describe the impact of heavy winds on fire behavior in the Phoenix area.
Produce rapid-fire spread and can lead to the creation of spot fires far in advance of the fire head.
Define LCES in the context of wildland fire management.
Must be in place prior to any fire suppression operations, with easily accessible and large enough safety zones to prevent radiant heat injuries or direct flame impingement.
How does fire behavior differ on uphill slopes compared to downhill slopes?
Uphill much more rapidly than downhill, tending to crown over the top and start spot fires a considerable distance down the receding slope.
Fuel characteristics in the river bottoms of the Phoenix area.
Mix of grass, brush, and trees, which increase fire behavior and the time it takes to extinguish them.
Importance of establishing a Command Post and sectors/divisions/groups on major brush/wildland fire incidents.
To effectively manage resources, plot progress, and coordinate communication and response efforts.
Do brush/wildland fires often present a large area of rapidly spreading fire?
Yes, making it crucial to make critical decisions on where to attack the fire for the best advantage.
Define the term ‘size up.’
Deliberate and thorough initial assessment of a fire incident to gather pertinent information on the fire’s location, spread rates, direction, identified hazards, threats to improvements, and anticipated needed resources.
How should Command adjust strategy when brush/wildland fires begin to threaten homes?
Prepared to readjust and develop a defensive strategy to protect exposures while allowing the fire to burn to a location better suited for control.
Considerations that greatly affect tactics and strategy during a brush/wildland fire size-up.
Location and size of the fire, rate of speed, flame length, spot fires, fuel continuity, type of fuel, fuel loading, and weather conditions.
What must Command be prepared to do as fire spread becomes critical during a brush/wildland fire incident?
Special call additional attack units by specific companies or request assistance by standardized alarm responses, making this determination early.
How should the Command Post location be selected during a brush/wildland fire incident?
Safe location that does not have to move if the fire changes direction, with close proximity for helicopter landings and supporting elements to set up.
