Training for

Rescuers

Fire Training Wing

Emergency Services Academy
Wildland Fires
 Wildland Fire
Objectives:
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to learn:
1. Introduction of Wildland Fire
2. Anatomy of Wildland Fire
3. Causes of Wildland Fire
4. Size-up of Wildland Fire
5. Classification & Characteristics of Wildland Fire
6. Types of Wildland Fire
7. Hazards of Wildland Firefighting
 Wildland Fire

Objectives:
Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to learn:
8. Wildland firefighter’s Safety
9. Wildland firefighting TEA
10. Methods of extinguishing wildland fire
11. 18 Watch Outs for wildland fire
12. 10 Standard Wildland firefighting orders
 Wildland Fire

Introduction
Wildland fires are defined by
National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) as unplanned and
uncontrolled fires burning in
vegetative fuels ( grass, leaves, crop
fields and trees) that sometimes
includes structures.
 Wildland Fire
Anatomy of a Wildland Fire
Area of Origin
The location where a wildland or ground fire
begins
Head of the Fire
As the fire grows & moves into new fuel, the
most rapidly moving area, the travelling edge
of fire.
Heel/ Rear of the Fire
As the fire propagate the area closer to the
origin of the fire referred as heel / rear of the
fire
Spot Fire
A new fire that starts outside the perimeter of
main body
 Wildland Fire
Anatomy of a Wildland Fire
Finger
As the fire grows, a change in wind or
topography may cause it to move in such a
way that long narrow extension fire project
out.
Pocket
The unburned area between finger and the
main body
Island
An area that is left untouched by the fire and
surrounded by burned land.
Green and Black Terms
Green is unburned fuel
Black is burned fuel
 Wildland Fire
Causes of Forest Fire
There are mainly two causes of forest fire.
•Environmental
•Human
Environmental
•Many forest fires start from natural cause
such as lightening which set trees on fire
•High temperature and dryness ( low
humidity).
 Wildland Fire

Human
•Ignition Sources (Cigarettes)
•Incendiary Fire
• Arson Fire
•Burning of Debris
•Vehicle or Aircraft Crash
 Wildland Fire
Size-up
•GPS coordinates
•Topography
•Type of fuel ( Bushes, Heavy Timber)
•Direction of Fire ( Uphill, Downhill or plains)
•Direction and speed of Wind
•Weather conditions ( Temperature and Humidity
)
•Estimated effected area
•Height of Inferno
•Fire Barriers ( Lakes, Roads , Dwellings)
•Classification of fire (Surface, Ground or
Crown).
•Type of fire spread (smoldering, creeping,
running, torching, spotting).
 Wildland Fire

Classification of Wildland Fuels

Fine Fuel
•0.6 cms in diameter or less
•Consist of grass, leaves, tree moss
•Very high flammability
Light Fuel
•0.6 to 2.5 cms in diameter
•Small twigs and stems
•Highly flammable
 Wildland Fire
Classification of Wildland Fuels
Medium Fuel
•2.5 - 8 cms in diameter or less
•Consist of sticks and branch wood
•Comparatively less flammable
Heavy Fuel
•8 cms or more in diameter
•Large logs
•Least flammable
 Wildland Fire
Characteristics of Wildland Fuels
Fuel Compactness
Fuel compactness influences the rate at which
a wild land burns. When fuels are tightly
compressed, adequate oxygen and heat cannot
get into the surface. Therefore compact fuels
burns slowly.
Fuel Continuity
Fuel continuity refers to wildland fuels that
have uninterrupted connections. In situation
where there is no fuel continuity, a fire may
burn out at spot where it started
 Wildland Fire
Characteristics of Wildland Fuels
Fuel Volume
Quantity of fuel available in specific area.
Volume of fuel in a given area influences the
growth and intensity of fire.
Fuel Moisture
Amount of moisture contained in fuel. This
characteristic influences the speed of ignition,
spread of fire and intensity of the fire. Fuels
with more moisture will not burn as readily as
fuel with low moisture content.
 Wildland Fire
Types of Forest Fire
•Crown fires burn trees up their entire length to
the top. These are the most intense and
dangerous wildland fires.
•Surface fires burn only surface litter and duff.
These are the easiest fires to put out and cause
the least damage to the forest.
•Ground fires (sometimes called underground or
subsurface fires) occur in deep accumulations of
humus, peat and similar dead vegetation that
become dry enough to burn. These fires move
very slowly, but can become difficult to fully put
out, or suppress.
 Wildland Fire
Types of Forest Fire
 Wildland Fire
Hazards of Wildland Firefighting
•Heat Stress
•Dehydration
•Fatigue
•Slip, Trip, Fall
•Burn ( Mainly Sun Burns)
•Lacerations
•Toxic Gases
•Hollow burnt trees
•Venomous Animals & Insects
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Safety
•Provide rest periods in cooler areas with water
breaks
•Allow enough time to sleep afJJter shift work
and on days off
•Establish and implement LACES (lookouts,
Anchor Point, communication, escape routes
and safety zones)
• PPEs (recommended by NFPA 1977)
•Carry Tetanus Injection
•Don’t Run (Most wildland fire fatalities are
caused by being overrun by fire and spot fires)
•Sun Burn Protection Ointments
•Insects Repellents
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Safety
LACES
L ( LOOK OUT) :
Knowledgeable person assigned to
continually assess fire behavior and
weather conditions; anticipate and
recognize changes in fire behavior and
communicate threats.
A ( Anchor Point)
An anchor point serves as a barrier to
fire spread and is employed as a starting
point to begin fire suppression. Example
of an anchor point could be a river, road,
location without fuels
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Safety
LACES
C ( Communication) :
Establish system (i.e. radios) to inform
everyone in the field of safety concerns, fire
behavior; location and use of escape routes
and safety zones
E ( Escape Route) :
Choose alternative travel paths to reach
safety zones; established firebreaks and
burned over ‘blackened’ areas may serve as
escape routes. Do not run unless you have a
clear and complete path of escape.
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Safety
LACES
S( Safety Zone)
Pre-planned and pre-identified area of
refuge may be natural (bare ground, rock
outcroppings; wet area/water body) or
man-made (parking areas/landings;
sufficiently wide road, etc.) or the burned
over ‘blackened’ area; safety zones must
be identified and discussed before field
work begins
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Safety
Recommended PPEs
•Flame resistant clothing (Nomex (a trade
name for arimid fiber clothing) is flame
resistant but not fireproof)
• Proper footwear (Leather boots with a
minimum 6 inch top and skid resistant
soles)
• Hard hat
• Leather gloves
• Safety glasses
•APR Mask
•SCBA ( in case of Heavy Smoke )
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Safety

Recommended PPEs
•Fire shelter( Most important piece of
equipment, reflect 95 % of radiant heat;
used by firefighter when it is not possible to
reach safe zone. Fire shelter allows a rapidly
moving fire to pass over a firefighter who
had deployed a fire shelter)
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Tool,

Equipment & Accessories
Drip Torch
The intentional ignition of fires is a
common firefighting tactic. A burnout
(also called a firing operation, or firing
out) is a smaller fire ignited along a
control line ahead of the main fire. The
intent is to consume fuel ahead of the
main fire, strengthening the control
line.
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Tool,

Equipment & Accessories
Mcleod Tool
The McLeod tool is a combination of a
hoe and a rake and can be used for
clearing brush and debris as well as
constructing fire lines. The McLeod's
head can be secured with a nail to
prevent any twisting or movement
while you work.
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Tool,

Equipment & Accessories
Pulaksi Tool
The Pulaski is a special hand tool used
in fighting fires, particularly wildfires,
which combines an axe and an adze in
one head. Similar to a cutter mattock,
it has a rigid handle of wood, plastic,
or fiberglass. The Pulaski is used for
constructing firebreaks, able to both
dig soil and chop wood.
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Tool,
Equipment & Accessories
Fire Flapper / Beater
A flapper is a wildland firefighting tool
that resembles a broom or a leaf rake
with wide, overlapping metal bristles
in the form of a hand fan. It is also
called a swatter or a beater. The fire is
attacked from the upwind side by
lightly swatting out the flames or
embers with the thick flap. When the
flapper hits the ground, the oxygen
supply to the fire is stopped and the
fire will be extinguished.
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Tool,

Equipment & Accessories
Hoe Tool
A hoe is an ancient and versatile
agricultural and horticultural hand
tool used to shape soil, remove weeds,
clear soil, and harvest root crops. It is
used to  loosen soil and chop weeds.
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Tool, Equipment &

Accessories
Chain Saw
A chainsaw is a portable gasoline-,
electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts
with a set of teeth attached to a rotating
chain driven along a guide bar. It is used
in activities such as tree felling, limbing,
bucking, pruning, cutting firebreaks in
wildland fire suppression, and harvesting
of firewood.
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Tool, Equipment
& Accessories
Shovel
A shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and
moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal,
gravel, snow, sand, or ore.
Most shovels are hand tools consisting of a
broad blade fixed to a medium-length
handle. Shovel blades are usually made of
sheet steel or hard plastics and are very
strong.
 Wildland Fire
Wildland Firefighter’s Tool, Equipment &
Accessories
Hygrometer
A hygrometer is an instrument used to
measure the amount of water vapor in air, in
soil, or in confined spaces. Humidity
measurement instruments usually rely on
measurements of some other quantities such
as temperature, pressure, mass, a mechanical
or electrical change in a substance as moisture
is absorbed.
 Wildland Fire

Wildland Firefighter’s Tool, Equipment &

Accessories
GPS Meter
GPS tracking is the surveillance of location
through use of the Global Positioning System
(GPS ) to track the location of an entity or
object remotely. The technology can pinpoint
longitude, latitude, ground speed, and course
direction of the target.
 Wildland Fire
Extinguishing Wildland Fire
Types of Attack
Direct Attack
•A direct attack is done by extinguishing
fire at it burning end.
•Use hoses to apply water or compressed
air foam to cool the fire.
a) Pincer Attack ( attack is made on
both right and left flanks of fire)
b) Flank Attack (attack is made on
one side right or left flanks of
fire
•Direct attack is used on surface and
ground fires.
•Use of Fire Beater.
•Dangerous due to heat exposure
 Wildland Fire
Extinguishing Wildland Fire
Types of Attack
Indirect Attack
•An indirect attack is most common in crown
wildland fire and ground fires that are too
dangerous to approach through a direct fire.
•Indirect attack is done by building a fuel
breaks which is called as fire line or control
line.
•Fire line / control line may be constructed
close to the fire or several miles away.
•Fire line / control line may be constructed by
drip torch or by excavation.
 Wildland Fire
18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Fire not scouted and sized up

Wildland firefighters scout and size up all
incidents to gain situational awareness
before beginning fire suppression. This
Watch Out shows a firefighter too far away
to effectively describe the specific fire
behavior, fuel types, and weather conditions
on the fire.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

In country not seen in daylight
Firefighting resources are often called to
respond to fires at night in unfamiliar
terrain. This Watch Out shows firefighters
working at night in an area they are seeing
for the first time which requires extra
attention to surroundings and caution
while working.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Safety zones and escape routes not identified.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes,
and Safety Zones (LCES) are a critical
approach all wildland firefighters use to
engage in fire suppression safely. This Watch
Out depicts a crew without established escape
routes or safety zones.
18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Unfamiliar with weather and local factors

influencing fire behavior.
Weather forecasts play a crucial role in the
planning and suppression of all wildland and
prescribed fire operations and activities. This
Watch Out depicts firefighters acquiring
weather information but seemingly unaware
of the incoming storm clouds which would
directly impact fire behavior.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.
Wildland firefighters rely on coordinated
strategies and tactics to efficiently suppress
fires and avoid hazards. This Watch Out
demonstrates an airtanker dropping
retardant away from the intended area,
potentially indicating unclear communication.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Instructions and assignments not clear
The Incident Command System (ICS) is used
to provide uniform chain of command on all
incidents. This Watch Out shows an engine
crew working in a counterproductive manner,
without clear instructions towards an
expected outcome.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

No communication link with crewmembers or
supervisor
Known radio frequencies and channels enable
instant communication within and between
firefighting resources. This Watch Out shows a
crew physically separated without any obvious
method for communication among crew
members or their supervisor.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Constructing line without safe anchor point.
An anchor point is an advantageous location,
usually a barrier to fire spread, from which to
start constructing a fireline. This Watch Out
depicts an engine crew working along the fire
edge without a clear anchor point.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Building fireline downhill with fire below
Building fireline downhill requires special
attention to safety factors because of the
potential for rapid uphill fire spread. This
Watch Out depicts firefighters building
fireline downhill without first mitigating the
existing hazards.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Attempting frontal assault on fire.
It is safer to start firefighting where the
activity is lesser or the fire is moving away
from firefighters. This Watch Out shows a
firefighter in a position where he would be
unable to safely engage in fire suppression.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Unburned fuel between you and fire
Heavy equipment is often used to construct
fireline to slow fire progression because it can
build wider fireline at a faster rate. This
Watch Out requires extra situational
awareness because there is unburned fuel
between the bulldozer and the main fire.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Cannot see main fire; not in contact with
someone who can.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape
Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES) are the
foundation to safe fire suppression actions.
This Watch Out depicts a crew member
working away from his crew without a
radio or other form of communication to
be alerted to sudden changes in weather or
fire
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

On a hillside where rolling material can ignite
fuel below.
Fires can move more quickly uphill. This
Watch Out shows rolling logs and debris that
are on fire and can ignite fuels below the crew
building fireline.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Weather becoming hotter and drier.
Hot temperatures and low relative humidity
increase fire behavior. This Watch Out
portrays a hot, dry afternoon with firefighters
working to suppress a growing fire.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Wind increases and/or changes direction
Wind can significantly impact the rate and
direction of fire spread. This Watch Out shows
how it can also have an impact on aviation fire
resources, such as helicopters.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Getting frequent spot fires across line.
Spot fires occur when embers land on the
unburned side of a fireline. This Watch
Out depicts an engine crew attempting to
contain several spot fires which are
increasing in size while the main fire is
also growing.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Getting frequent spot fires across line.
Spot fires occur when embers land on the
unburned side of a fireline. This Watch
Out depicts an engine crew attempting to
contain several spot fires which are
increasing in size while the main fire is also
growing.
 Wildland Fire

18 Watch-outs for Wildland Fire

Taking a nap near fireline.
Managing fatigue during wildland fire
suppression is important for firefighter
health and safety. This Watch Out depicts
fire behavior increasing while firefighters
take a nap without a lookout.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Keep informed on fire weather conditions and
forecasts.
Weather conditions can significantly impact
fire behavior, and weather forecasts help
firefighters anticipate changes. This Standard
Firefighting Order shows a remote automated
weather station (RAWS) which sends real-
time weather information to incident fire
personnel.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Know what your fire is doing at all times

Current and accurate information about fire
behavior and weather conditions is critical to
firefighter safety. This Standard Firefighting
Order demonstrates how lookouts are used to
gather and communicate details on fire
behavior.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Base all actions on current and expected
behavior of the fire.
Fire managers make decisions throughout the
day on how to suppress fires and best use
resources while protecting life and property.
This Standard Firefighting Order depicts a
firefighter observing increased fire behavior
during a time of day when temperatures are
high and relative humidity is low.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Identify escape routes and safety zones, and
make them known.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes,
and Safety Zones (LACES) are the foundation
to safe fire suppression actions. This Standard
Firefighting Order shows a crew utilizing a
predesignated escape route to safely move
away from an active fire..
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Post lookouts when there is possible danger
Lookouts provide time-sensitive information to
firefighters. This Standard Firefighting Order
demonstrates firefighters installing a pump and
hose lay with a designated lookout to keep
watch for and communicate possible hazards.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act
decisively.
Remaining alert, keeping calm, thinking
clearly, and acting decisively are important
components of decision-making on wildland
fire incidents. This Standard Firefighting
Order illustrates a supervisor providing
direction and establishing leader's intent to
help a crew working on a growing fire
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Maintain prompt communications with your
forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
The Incident Command System (ICS) relies
on interagency communications between
firefighting resources for collaborative fire
suppression. This Standard Firefighting
Order shows a variety of firefighting
resources working together to effectively
suppress a wildland fire.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Give clear instructions and be sure they are

understood.
Briefings are opportunities to share
information, plan tactics, and ask questions.
This Standard Firefighting Order illustrates a
briefing from a supervisor to the personnel
working on the fireline.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Maintain control of your forces at all times

Building and maintaining crew cohesion
promotes trust among crew members and
leadership. This Standard Firefighting Order
demonstrates a crew following direction from
their supervisor to avoid hazards, including the
approaching airtanker.
 Wildland Fire

10 Standard Firefighting Orders

Fight fire aggressively, having provided for

safety first.
The safety of firefighters and the public is
always the top priority of wildland fire
management agencies. This Standard
Firefighting Order portrays an engine crew,
with a clearly identified escape route in place,
suppressing an active wildland fire .
THANKS