Section IV - Chapter 1 - Wildland Fire Terminology and Factors Flashcards
- This is usually the point of origin of the fire. It usually burns at an intensity that is less than the rest of the fire and also a slower rate of spread. It is an excellent place to secure an anchor point.
Heel
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- As viewed from the heel, the ______ are on the left and right sides of the fire. Under ICS the _______ are broken up to maintain span of control and are normally identified by letters, starting at the heel of the fire and moving clockwise around the incident beginning with letter “A”.
Flanks / flanks / flanks
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- These are narrow strips of fire extending outward from the main fire. Are caused when the fire moves through fuels of different densities and/or through fuels with different moisture content.
Fingers
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- The area of the fire where the burning is the fastest and hottest. Remember, there can be than one ______, so plan accordingly.
Head / head
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- A spot or spots along the fire perimeter that burn more vigorously than the surrounding area.
Hot spots
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- Fires that ignite outside the main fire perimeter; usually started by hot embers blown from the main fire.
Spot fires
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- The area burned as defined inside the fire perimeter
Burn
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- The area unburned outside the fire perimeter
Green
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- An area within the burn or fire perimeter that has not been burned.
Island
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- An area of unburned fuel located between two fingers or between the fire perimeter and a finger.
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- Fires that ignite outside the main fire perimeter; usually started by hot embers blown from the main fire.
Spot fires
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- The area burned as defined inside the fire perimeter
Burn
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- The area unburned outside the fire perimeter
Green
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- An area within the burn or fire perimeter that has not been burned.
Island
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- An area of unburned fuel located between two fingers or between the fire perimeter and a finger.
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- The ignition of a number of (individual) fires within an area simultaneously or in quick succession. These fires are spaced so that they influence and support each other and produce a fast spreading and very hot fire throughout the area.
Area Ignition
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- A sudden increase in fire intensity or rate of spread that precludes direct control or upsets existing control measures; it is accompanied by violent convention and takes on the characteristics of a firestorm.
Blow Up
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- The number expressed in an arithmetic scale that is determined from the fuel moisture content, wind speed, and other selected factors affecting burning rates. The ease of the ignition of a fire and fire behavior may be estimated using this index. It is a component of the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS), which is a multiple index scheme designed to provide fire control and land management personnel with a systematic means of assessing various aspects of fire danger on a day-to-day basis.
Burn Index
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- The ignition of unburned fuels within the fire line or perimeter as part of the direct or parallel method of fire control.
Burning Out
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- The intentional setting of fire to fuels inside the control line to slow, knock down, or contain a rapidly spreading fire. This is associated with indirect attacks that provide a wide defensive perimeter; also an effective tool in the strategy of locating control lines in places where the fire can be fought on safer terms.
Backfire
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- This is a method of controlling a partly dead fire by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hands while building a fire line around and digging out every live spot.
Cold Trailing
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- This is a fire that advances from top-to-top of trees or shrubs and is independent of the surface fire. Can also be classified as either a running or independent fire.
Crown Fire
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- Suppression efforts on the fires edge or immediately adjacent to the fire perimeter. Methods of this attack include construction of fire or dozer line on or along the edge and the use of a handline or hose lay to attack the fire.
Direct Attack
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- A fire control management system that integrates the effects of selected fire danger factors into one or more qualitative or numerical indicators of the current level of fire protection needed.
Fire Danger Rating
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- A spinning, moving column of ascending air, which rises from a vortex and may carry aloft smoke, debris, and flames ranging in size and intensity from one foot in diameter to a small tornado.
Fire Whirl
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- This is a dry wind with strong downward components that move from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area. When descending in conjunction with terrain, it becomes hotter and drier as it descends. Examples would be Santa Ana winds in Southern California and North, Mono, or Chinook winds in the northwest.
Foehn
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- The checking of the spread of fire at points of more rapid spread or special threat areas with emphasis on first priorities, usually in the initial steps in the immediate control.
Hot Spotting
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- This is the construction of a line in the “green” or unburned fuel at a considerable distance from the fire line that can be used for defensive operations.
Indirect Attack
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- Initiate an anchor point near the point of origin to attack two sides of the fire to cut off the head.
Pincer Attack
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- An unfinished preliminary control line established or constructed as an emergency measure to check the spread of a fire.
Scratch Line
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- The number related to the relative rate of the forward movement of surface fires.
Spread Index
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The main factors that affect wildland fires are ______, __________, and _____________.
fuel, weather, and topography
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______________ is the main fuel consumed in a wildland fire.
Vegetation
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The types of _____________, ______________, ______________ and ___________ content all have tremendous affect on the behavior of a wildland fire.
vegetation, arrangement, compactness, and moisture
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In North America, there are several hundred common vegetation types that can be classified as flammable fuels. These fuels can be described in three basic ways:
- By the ________ of the live fuel, expressed in tons per acre
- By the _______ and _________ of the vegetation
- By _______________ location, as well as the ________ or _______ family.
- weight
- size and height
- geographic / species or plant
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The most common method of classification is to group fuels according to their position on the _________, __________, or in the ______.
surface / ground / air
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A __________ _______ is the debris such as leaves, small twigs, branches, and needles that fall to the ground creating a duff or dry decomposing material.
ground fuel
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A __________ _______ is the live vegetation that grows close to the ground, such as grass, brush, small trees, and field crops.
surface fuel
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A ________ ______ is the vegetation and debris above ground fuels.
crown fuel
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The ______ of the fuel also determines the ease of ignition and rate of burning. ________ or “________” fuels ignite easily and burn fast.
size / light or “flashy”
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Light fuels, such as dry ________, dead ________, _______ and small ______, serve as kindling for heavier fuels.
grass / leaves / brush / trees
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_________ _______ are slow burning and usually are ignited by fires involving light fuels.
Heavy fuels
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The ________ in which the fuel is arranged and its _________ also affect fire growth and spread rates.
density / volume
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_________, compacted ground fuels have less air available for complete combustion; therefore, they tend to burn more slowly than less __________ fuels.
Dense / compacted
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The __________ of fuel determines how intense the fire will burn.
volume
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The ___________ of the fuels affects the spread of wildland fires.
continuity
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When the fuel is close together, the fire will spread faster due to ?
direct flame contact or the effect of radiant heat transfer
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Weather:
_______, ____________, relative __________, and ______________ are all major weather factors that influence wildland fires.
wind / temperature / humidity / precipitation
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________ is caused by the uneven heating and cooling of air.
Wind
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The earth’s rotation causes great volumes of air to move from _______ to _______.
west to east
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Frontal systems, Foehn, and thunderstorms occur when ?
raising warm air meets sinking cool air
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In an area of ______ pressure, the airflow is counterclockwise, whereas ______ pressure systems create an airflow in a clockwise direction.
low / high
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Wind
A useful rule of thumb is that when your back is to the wind, ______ pressure is on the right side.
high
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______________ features such as large bodies of water (lakes, bays, oceans, etc) can influence wind.
Topographic
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Wind
Air tends to blow _________ from the shore because land cools faster than water. The wind moves inland again as the ?
outward / sun warms up the land
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____________ may act like chimneys by channeling air vertically. When slopes warm up, airflow moves _________. When slopes cool down, airflow moves ___________.
Mountains / upslope / downslope
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Wind
As wind blows through the vegetation, it is accelerating the ______________ of the moisture from within the fuel.
evaporation
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Wildland fires will create their own _______ that will add to the wind conditions or sometimes overpower existing winds.
wind
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Atmospheric _____________ have a definite impact on wildland fire behavior.
temperatures
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__________ ___________ is the amount of moisture in the air, compared with the amount of moisture that the air can hold at that temperature.
Relative humidity
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When relative humidity falls to _____ conditions are favorable for burning. When the relative humidity drops below _____ fire danger becomes critical.
30% / 10%
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A good rule of thumb is that for every 20F __________ in the temperature, relative humidity drops by half. The inverse is also true. For every 20F ___________ in the temperature, relative humidity doubles.
increase / decrease
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While ______________ has little direct influence on the flame, it does affect the condition of fuels.
precipitation
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_______________ refers to the shape and slope of the land. ________, ____________, ________ and position on slope all affect fire spread.
Topography / terrain / steepness / aspect
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Steepness
In general, wildland fires spread much faster ?
uphill than on level ground
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Steepness
Fires move faster uphill because ?
the flames are closer to the unburned vegetation
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Direction of slope
Full ___________ ___________ means that the sun’s rays shine more directly onto the fuels.
southern exposure
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Slopes with ___________ exposures tend to produce dry, light, flashy type fuels and will have longer burning periods than the lesser-exposed slopes.
southern
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Slopes with a ___________ exposure tend to have cooler temperatures, higher humidity levels, and produce large slower burning fires.
northern
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Local terrain
Restrictions, such as a _________ or narrow _________, increase wind velocity and assist in the preheating of fuels during a fire.
saddle / canyon
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______ __________ dictates whether or not a piece of material is ready to burn.
Fuel moisture
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Location of the fuel to the __________ affects the fuel moisture.
surface
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Air close to the ground where the surface is hot will warm up and produce a _______ relative humidity than the air a short __________ above the ground.
lower / distance
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Different air temperatures in areas may result in different ______ __________ in the same type of fuel.
fuel moisture
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Fuel moisture
The larger the fuel is, the _________ the change in the fuel moisture.
slower
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Fuel moisture
Light flash type fuels can reach equilibrium in _________. Limbs 2 inches in diameter can take up to ______ days to equal out while logs can take _______ and even a ________.
minutes / four / weeks / month
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The burning characteristics of wildland fires can be predicted based on the ?
time of day
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Time of day
From ______ to ______ hours, all factors affecting fire intensity are usually at their highest.
10:00 to 18:00
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Time of day
From ______ to ______ hours, the factors affecting fire intensity are more favorable for fire control and extinguishment.
18:00 to 04:00
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Time of day
From ______ to ______ hours is the time when fire can most easily be controlled.
04:00 to 06:00
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_____ _________ is an advanced stage of wildland fire.
Area ignition
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This condition/situation makes direct attack and control impossible because of sudden increase in fire intensity and rate of fire spread ?
Area ignition
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The size, distribution, and compactness of fuel do not affect the fire as much as the ?
total volume of fuel
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