Wild land Fire Fighting (Passage 2)

Question 1

Urban/Wildland Interface fires includes what types of vegetation?

Answer 1

Brush, weeds, grass, crops, forests, and other vegetation.

Question 2

Fires in brush, weeds, grass, crops, forests, and other vegetation is called what?

Answer 2

Urban/Wildland Interface fires.

Question 3

Wildland fires present what types of problems that are not comparable with other types of fire? (3)

Answer 3

1. Weather
2. Topography
3. Fuel type

Question 4

Although cities are heavily urbanized, where does the potential for fires exist?

Answer 4

Canyons, dedicated open space, and undeveloped, brush-covered properties.

Question 5

What describes a major fire in grass, brush or forest which spreads to structures, houses, mobile homes, or parked vehicles in or around the area?

Answer 5

An urban/wildland interface fire.

Question 6

What are the 4 types of wildland fire behaviors that kill fire fighters, according to an NFPA study?

Answer 6

1. Fire fighter fatalities often occur at the edge or perimeter of a large wildfire.
2. Fire fighters are often killed when working in and around light fuels, – such as grass, brush or marsh weeds; they are generally not killed in large forest fires.
3. Unexpected wind shifts – are a contributing factor in fire fighter deaths. Sudden increases in wind speed and sudden changes in wind direction cause the light fuels to “flare up” or “blow up,” which can trap and kill fire fighters.
4. Changes in ground elevation increases fire spread, –which traps and kills fire fighters on the side of a hill or mountain or on a cliff side.

Question 7

A brush fire spread can __________ for every ____ _________ of elevation.

Answer 7

double; 10 degrees

Question 8

Large urban/wildland interface fires usually start out as what?

Answer 8

Small brush fires.

Question 9

How many wildfires occur in the U.S. each year?

Answer 9

150,000 wildfires

Question 10

Those wildfires burn over how many acres of brush and forest each year?

Answer 10

Over 2.25 million acres burned.

Question 11

Most of these annual wildfires are extinguished when they are what size?

Answer 11

Smaller than one acre.

Question 12

What kind of tools are used by fire fighters to fight small blazes?

Answer 12

Rakes, shovels, axes, portable extinguishers and small off-road fire fighting vehicles.

Question 13

What 3 factors influence wildland fire behavior?

Answer 13

1. Weather
2. Topography
3. Fuel type

Question 14

What are the 4 classifications of wildfire fuels?

Answer 14

1. Ground fuels
2. Surface fuels
3. Ladder fuels
4. Crown fuels

Question 15

What is a characteristic of ground fuels?

Answer 15

Fuels that have fallen from the trees to the ground.

Question 16

What is a characteristic of surface fuels?

Answer 16

Vegetation up to 6 feet in height.

Question 17

Most fires involving crown fuels are caused by what?

Answer 17

The vertical spread of flames of a brush fire.

Question 18

What do ladder fuels do?

Answer 18

They allow fire spread to the tree crowns.

Question 19

What contributes to how quickly the wildland fuels ignite, burn and spread? (5)

Answer 19

1. Oil content (eucalyptus)
2. Moisture content
3. Fuel temperature
4. Density of the fuel
5. Arrangement of the fuel

Question 20

What are the fuel moisture factors? (10)

Answer 20

1. Relative humidity
2. Precipitation
3. Ground moisture
4. Live/dead fuel
5. Fuel size/density
6. Topography
7. Wind
8. Sunlight
9. Ambient temperature
10. Time of day

Question 21

What is the greatest influencing factor of wildland fire behavior?

Answer 21

Wind

Question 22

How do winds influence a wildland fire? (4)

Answer 22

1. It drives fire
2. It determines a wildland fire’s direction
3. It determines a wildland fire’s rate of spread
4. Oxygen supply is increased by higher wind velocities which increases the wildland fire’s intensity.

Question 23

How is the wind direction identified?

Answer 23

By the direction from which the wind blows.

Question 24

What is the most variable and least predictable factor of wildland fires?

Answer 24

Wind

Question 25

Fire spreads uphill ____ times faster than downhill.

Answer 25

16

Question 26

What is the primary reason fire spreads uphill faster than downhill?

Answer 26

Heat from the fire pre-heats the vegetation uphill from the fire.

Question 27

What are depressions in ridgetops called?

Answer 27

Saddles

Question 28

Box or narrow canyons allow winds to act like a what?

Answer 28

Lid

Question 29

What are the major parts of a wildland fire? (6)

Answer 29

Rear;
Flank;
Head;
Fingers;
Spot fires;
Pockets;

Question 30

What is the difference between a spot fire and a pocket?

Answer 30

Spot fires are ahead of the main fire caused by airborne, wind blown burning embers.
Pockets are sections of unburned shrubs or trees within the blackened area of a brush fire.

Question 31

Hand tools and portable extinguishers control what percent of most small brush fires at the head?

Answer 31

90%

Question 32

What is the name of the type of attack where a the head of a wildfire is approached from the flanks?

Answer 32

Pincer or envelopment type of attack.

Question 33

What are the fire fighting priorities of fighting a brush fire?

Answer 33

1. Safety of lives (including the fire fighters)
2. Protection of property
3. Containment of fire

Question 34

What are the priorities of structural fire fighting?

Answer 34

1. Safety of lives
2. Fire containment
3. Protection of property

Question 35

What hazards are commonly found in urban interface fires? (2)

Answer 35

High voltage towers and overhead electric wires.

Question 36

True or False: Heavy smoke plumes can cause phase-to-ground show circuits with overhead wires.

Answer 36

True

Question 37

How far away should flames be kept away from high voltage transmission lines?

Answer 37

100 feet

Question 38

How far should operating hose streams be kept from the outer electric lines?

Answer 38

100 feet