United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service Fire Management Volume 49, No.3 1988 Notes United States Department of Fire Agriculture 2!~~'!'kd Forest Service Mootneos Volume 49, NO.3 N( devoted to forest fire management 1988

Fire ManagementNotes Is published by the Forest service of the United Slates Contents Department01 Agriculture,Washington, D.C. The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the-publication 01 this p&Jiodical is 3 Fire Protection Project in China necessaryin the transaction 01the public Fred A. Fuchs business required by raw ot this Department. Subscriptionsmay be obtained from the Superintendentof Documents, U.S. GovernmentPrinting OtIice, Washington, 8 Downbursts and Wildland Fires: A Dangerous D.C. 20402 Combination NOTE·· The use of trade, Ilrm, or corporation Donald A. Haines names in this publication is lor the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not ccnsntute an official endorsementof any product or service by the 11 Celebrity Wildfire Prevention U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Maynard Stoddard Disclaimer: Individual authors are responslblefor the technical accuracy 01 the materialpresented In Fire Mimagement 12 Georgia's Fire Simulator Notes. John R. Burns, Jr. Send suggestions and artICles to Chiel, Forest Service (Attn: Fire Management Notes),P.O. Box 96090, U.S. Departmentof 14 Interagency Regional Training Groups Agriculture, Washington, DC 20090-6090. Richard E. lyng, Secretary James B. Whitson U.S. Department01Agriculture

F. Dale Robertson,Chief 16 Estimating Slope for Predicting Fire Behavior Forest ServICe Patricia L. Andrews LA. Amicarella, DJrector Fire and Aviation Management Frands R. Russ, 19 Railroad Fire Prevention Course General Manager James Miller

22 The Georgia Rural Fire Defense Program Don C. Freyer

24 Production Guidelines for Initial Attack Hotspotting Dennis Quintilio, Peter J. Murphy, and Paul M. Woodard

28 Wildland Interagency Engine: A Pilot Program Troy Corn

32 Fourth International Forest Firefighting Course Paul J. Weeden

34 Fire Management in Israel Kimberly Brandel. Mike Rogers, and Gordon Reinhart

38 Let's Stop Fighting Forest Fires

William B. Martini Co~er: Fire lookouttower in Israel. See story on p. 34.

2 Fire Management Notes Fire Protection Project in. China

Fred A. Fuchs

As.\"isfant director, USDA Forest Service. Fire and Aviation Management, Washington, DC

In May 1987, a huge fire burned started May 6. 1987, and lasted 28 The DXAL is the main timber 1,330,000 hectares (3,286,385 acres) days, blackening an area of base in China. Its current forest area in the northeastern part of the Peo­ 1.330,000 hectares (3,286,385 acres) is 10 percent of China's total forest, ple's Republic of China, damaging and damaging a forest area of the standing volume 13 percent. It 870,000 hectares (2,149,770 acres) 870,000 hectares (2,149,740 acres). has a mean standing volume of 100 of forest area, 10,08 I homes in 3 It was the most serious loss since the cubic meters (3,53 I ft') per year. towns, and much equipment. foundation of the People's Republic The dominant species, larch (Larix The fire occurred in the Daxingan­ of China (1949). gmelini), constitutes 70 percent of ling Forest Area (DXAL) lying in the China classifies fire in the four fol­ the total standing volume; the second northwestern comer of northeast lowing ways (one sets the size limits most common species or 19 percent China and covering the most north­ for a warning fire; the other three for of the total is white birch (Betula erly parts of Heilongjiang Province forest fires): spp.). Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Size Classification var. mongolica), oak (Quercus spp.), Region. This forest region is the Less than I ha Warning fire poplar (Populus spp.), spruce (Picea largest resource of natural forest in 1-100 ha Fire koraiensis), and others make up the China. It is separated from the Union 100 -1,000 ha Big fire remaining portion. of Soviet Socialist Republics on the 1,000 ha or In recognition of the rising demand north and east sides by the Heilong­ larger Huge fire for forest products and the country's jiang (Amur) River and on the west In the DXAL, there are nearly 200 shrinking natural forest resources, the side by a major tributary, the Ergun warning fires and 100 forest fires Chinese have embarked on a long­ He. The region measures some 740 each year with a total burned area term program of forestry and forest kilometers (460 mil from south to hefore 1980 of 150,000 hectares industry development designed to north and ranges from 203 to 583 (370.500 acres), a forest damage rate make China self-sufficient in wood­ kilometers (125 to 360 mil east to of 0.9 percent, a much higher rate based projects. The disastrous fires west. Its geographic coordinates are than in other areas in China. The of May 1987 in Heilongjiang, the 4T to 53° north latitude and I 19° to burned timberland average is 1,300 country's major source of industrial 127° east longitude. hectares (3,200 acres) per fire. For timber, have further exaggerated the example, before 1980, in the Song­ already precarious situation of declin­ The Fire Problem in the DXAL ling and Yangshu Forestry Bureaus, ing forest resources in which the and its Importance huge fires broke out every 3 to 5 country finds itself today. Since this years. Now most of these two for­ region started its development, much Forest fires are frequent and severe estry bureaus have been changed into work has been done, and some in China's forest areas. The DXAL open forests and bared mountains achievements in fire have been has more frequent fire occurrence with a forest coverage of only 10 to gained. However, the severe fire sit­ than any other part of China. Forest 20 percent. uation has not been essentially fire loss constitutes 20 to 25 percent The DXAL is often struck by changed, resulting in a decline of the of China's fire loss. From 1966 to lightning. causing 15 percent of the forest resource area because, on aver­ 1986, there were 73 huge fires in fires. In the northern forest area of age, fires burn more forest acreage Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia or the DXAL, 23 percent of the fires per year than is planted. 80 percent of China's total number of were caused by lightning. In the huge fires. There were 7 huge fires southern forest area of the DXAL, Climate and Land Features with a burned area of more than lightning fires usually occur between 65,992 hectares (163,000 acres) mid-May and June 10, while the The climate is continental cold­ each. The longest fire lasted 47 days. northe-rn forest area is struck mainly temperate, characterized by long, The most recent devastating fire in late June. cold, dry winters and short, warm,

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 3 CHINA DAXINGANLING FOREST FIRE REHABILITATION PROJECT

.:.•:.:~'::';':': Forest Fire AHected Area ---:::::>- Rivers

Forest Area Prefecture Boundaries

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MARCH 1988 Figure I-Map (?f lraxinganting Forest Fire Rehabilitation Project. (This map \\'l1S prepared hy the World Bank for its lise and the use of the International Finance Corporation.} humid summers. Mean annual tem­ spreads rapidly in the grassland and for assistance. I was loaned to the peratures vary from 0 to - 6 'C (32 causes severe damage. World Bank as a consultant for this to 21 'F), with a minimum of - 50 The elevation of the rolling hills of project. The team consisted of Horst 'C ( - 58 'F) and a maximum of 35 the region ranges from 198 to 1,524 Wagner, team leader and World 'C (95 'F). Frost-free days vary from meters (650 to 5,000 ft) above mean Bank senior forester; Bill Jones, 80 to 120 days per year and annual sea level. The dominant soil types World Bank senior economist; pri­ precipitation varies from 36 to 56 are the brown podsolic forest soils on vate consultants, Derek Paul, a sil­ centimeters (14 to 22 in). It is dry the slopes grading into dark brown viculrurisr from England, and Karl and windy in spring because of the forest soils and hammock (bog) soils Kehr, a logging and transport spe­ monsoon from Siberia, with a spring in the valley bottoms. Over 70 per­ cialist from Germany; and me, Forest rainfall (from March to May) of only cent of the area is covered with shal­ Service aerial suppression specialist. 2 centimeters (0.8 in) or 4 percent of low soils of 30 centimeters (12 in) or annual precipitation. However, the less depth. Field Trip to Daxinganling Forest average evaporation during the same Area period is 17 centimeters (6.7 in). Government Action and From mid-April to mid-May, there International Assistance The mission was scheduled for 3 are more than 10 days that the wind weeks in October but due to visa blows above Wind Force 5, with a After the huge May 6 fire, leaders delays was put off until the first 3 peak of Force 7 to 8 winds (62 to 70 of the State Council and the Central weeks of November. A mission in km/h or 38 to 43 mi/h) lasting I to 3 Government are paying close atten­ September or early October would days. The Wind Force equivalents tion to forest fire control. The State have been much more productive, as are as follows: Council, in its report "On Dealing November was far too cold and past Wind Force 5 44 krn/h (27 rni/h) with the Huge Fire Disaster in the the fall fire season. As a result, we Wind Force 6 50 km/h (31 rni/h) DXAL Forest Area," and the Stand­ did not meet the firefighting person­ Wind Force 7 62 km/h (38 mi/h) ing Committee of the People's Con­ nel we had hoped to meet nor did we Wind Force 8 70 km/h (43 mi/h) gress in a resolution emphasized the see as much firefighting equipment These winds are the main climatic importance of improving forest fire or as many demonstrations of tech­ element causing fire disasters in the control facilities and increasing the niques as we wished. DXAL. Since 1963, when the DXAL ability for fire prevention and fire On November 3, we began our Forestry Corporation started its control. "We should invest some field trip to the north, departing Bei­ development of the forest area, 70 money in fire control," Vice Premier jing for Harbin by tri-jet, a 1.5-hour percent of the huge forest fires in nan Jiyuen pointed out clearly. "We flight. There we met with the Heilongjiang Province went out of should use modern technology to Heilongjiang Province Forestry control only because of the strong improve fire control ability." Office personnel. That evening we wind during those days. The Government of China boarded a train for a 14-hour ride to The DXAL Forest Area is hilly requested the International Bank for Jagdaqi. The Jagdaqi office is similar land with a chain of mountains. The Reconstruction and Development to a Forest Service regional office; it slopes are normally under 15'. There (World Bank) to assist in the prepa­ has eight Forest Bureaus (similar to are 20 rivers in the area, all with ration and financing of a forest fire National Forests) in two counties. shallow riverbeds and open grass­ protection and rehabilitation project In Tahe County, we visited the land, usually 91 meters to 4 kilome­ for the Heilongjiang Province. In Tahe and Amur Forest Bureaus. In ters wide (300 ft to 2.5 mil, response to China's request, the Mohe County we visited the Tuqiang alongside the rivers. There is also World Bank asked the U.S. Depart­ and Xilinji Forest Bureaus. Jagdaqi much peat land with hammocks. Fire ment of Agriculture Forest Service to Tahe by train took 6'10 hours; Tahe

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 5 to Amur by vehicle, 5'12 hours; Amur to 25 passengers or 18 firefighters Our field trip took us within about to Tuqiang by vehicle, 1'12 hours; and and has rear-opening clamshell 32 kilometers (20 miles) of the Tuqiang to Xilinjiby vehicle, 2 doors. Russian border and into very cold hours. Suppression is accomplished weather. Several nights were - 38 "C This took us through some of the mostly by direct attack with a variety ( - 37 OF), with daytime highs of fire area and destruction from the of tools such as blowers, branches, - 28 °C (-20 OF). And it wasn't May fires that wiped out three towns swatters, backpack pumps, and mis­ winter yet! where forestry bureaus' headquarters cellaneous handtools. The average The buildings were only slightly were located. The fire also damaged fire size at detection is 61 hectares heated-just enough to keep water 9 forest farms, 5 woodyards, 695 (150 acres) and attack times are pipes from freezing. Meeting and kilometers (429 mil of utility line, sometimes slow. Many valley bot­ dining rooms were only heated from 382 kilometers (236 mil of toms are swampy, making travel dif­ 1.7 to 4.4 °C (35 to 40 OF). They do powerlines, and 15 kilometers (9.6 ficult in areas of the forest bureaus build homes, offices, and hotels with mil of railway. Two thousand five that have not been roaded. The Mi-8 good passive solar designs: brick hundred twenty-eight pieces of equip­ helicopter is also used to deliver 18 walls 31 to 40.6 centimeters (12 to ment were ruined, which included 62 firefighters, but the helicopter is slow 16 in) thick, double windows with 15 large items such as trucks, tractors, and very large. Its large size makes centimeters (6 in) airspace between bulldozers, and winches. Fifty-six finding suitable landing sites difficult panes, and concrete floors (no carpet) thousand people lost their homes, and often quite some distance from to absorb the daytime solar heal. All estimated as a $56 million loss. the fire, requiring the firefighters to the rooms face south with hallways Amur and Tuqiang were two of walk a considerable distance. on the north side. the cities of nearly 20,000 population that were almost totally destroyed. However, most of the housing has been rebuilt and most of the families are in new homes-a very impressive reconstruction program.

Equipment in Current Use

Currently, the DXAL is using air­ craft for helitack and aerial detection. Aerial detection is accomplished using 10 to 12 Transport 5's (T-5's) and 7 Mi-8 helicopters. The T-5 is a single-engine, all-metal cabin biplane of Russian design and built in China. lt is powered by a 9-cylinder radial engine, has an inward opening door, and can seat up to 12 passengers. This is the same aircraft that the Russians use as a smokejumper plat- form. The Mi-8 is a twin-turbine, single-rotor helicopter of Russian MI-8 Russian-designed helicopter used by the Chinese for helitack, aerial detection, and transpor­ design built in China. It can carry up tation of smokejumpers.

6 Fire Management Notes retardant bombers, ground vehicles, communications equipment, weather and fire forecasting equipment, light­ ning detection systems, improved fire suppression techniques. study tours, and training. The objectives of the project are as follows: • Cover the area by aerial detec­ tion once or twice a day instead of the current once in 2 days. • Reduce fire size at detection from 60 hectares (ISO acres) to less than 2 hectares (S acres). • Transport firefighting crews by helicopter to the fire site within 2 hours. • Transport firefighting crews by o~.~.' ground vehicles to the fire site within 3 hours. . . . -. - .00"*1 , .. -----d • Suppress fires of less than 100 hectares (2S0 acres) 90 percent of the time. • Control forest fire damage to The hotels did not usually turn on and windy season that follows a dry under 0.3 percent annually. the hot water heaters. However, winter weather pattern. This condi­ • Reduce average annual burned some of the hotels where we stayed tion lasts until the summer rains area from 180,000 hectares (444,770 would turn on the hot water for one­ arrive in late June. acres) to 30,000 hectares (74,130 half hour in the evenings 'just so the acres). Westerners could take a hot bath. New Fire Program Objectives The potential for huge fires and Sometimes it pays to be pampered! excessive fire losses will continue Development of the DXAL started In February, the team returned to during the 1988 and 1989 fire sea­ 22 years ago and the average fire China for 2 weeks to complete its sons. During the 1988 fire season, loss is 179,996 hectares (444,770 part in the project. Horst Wagner, planning, study tours, and start of acres). This exceeds the current Karl Kehr, and I, members of the equipment purchasing will take reforestation efforts and results in a first team, were joined by Jim Doug­ place. During the 1989 fire season, continuing decline of forest las. Australian forest economist and equipment will be delivered, crews resources. private consultant, and Ulf Kihlblom, trained, and experience gained in fire Investments in fire protection Swedish remote sensing specialist in management. Full benefits of the during this period have not been private industry. These 2 weeks were improved fire protection program will adequate to reduce the fire loss effec­ spent entirely in Beijing developing be in effect for the 1990 fire season, tively on an overall average. As and negotiating the final project. meeting the project objectives. _ stated earlier, the major losses occur The project increases investment on days of extremely high wind in by $SO million in fire protection, the early spring, usually a very dry with detection airplanes, helicopters,

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 7 Downbursts and Wildland Fires: A Dangerous Combination

Donald A. Haines

Principal research meteorologist, USDA Forest Service. North Central Forest Experiment Station, East Lansing, MI

On June 8, 1981. a wildland fire ter), it is a microburst; larger ones feJl to the surface with them. In con­ on Merritt Island, FL. suddenly (more than 6.5 km or 2.5 mi in trast, during an Oklahoma study, changed directions. killing two fire­ diameter) are macrobursts. Not all Eilts and Doviak (3) found that the fighters. On August 2, 1985, Delta downdrafts are downbursts. Fujita (4) macrobursts detected on their radar Flight 191 crashed and burned while stated that horizontal wind speeds were imbedded in intense convective attempting to land at Dallas-Fort generally exceed 40 miles per hour storms and had large, heavy rain Worth Airport. These two events had (104 kmlh) on the ground in a true cores. But, these differences in one common theme, strong thun­ downburst. Although Schroeder and detection 'may be the result of scan­ derstorm downbursts. Buck (7) discussed downdrafts in ning strategies used with the different their 1970 handbook, Fire Weather. radar units (3), In particular, the recent research has greatly increased Oklahoma radar may have missed Introduction our knowledge of downburst occur­ lighter rain cores. rence and structure. Because a down­ Sherman (8) concluded that with It happens to most firefighters burst can cause dramatic and the faJling dense air in a downburst, sooner or later if they have been on dangerous fire behavior, firefighters the flow behaves like a toroidal vor­ the job long enough. Everything should understand this phenomenon. tex. In other words, as the vortex at along the fireline seems fairly well Downbursts are classed as either the head of a downburst approaches controlled. But then, unexpectedly, dry or wet. Most investigators the ground. each element of the the wind shifts and becomes erratic. believe that both types require rain­ falling vortex moves downward Wind speed picks up dramatically for drops as an initial condition because and outward along a roughly hyper­ 5 to 15 minutes and then decreases. evaporation of these drops cools the bolic path. Near the cloud base, Another factor is added to the high air, which then faJls as it gets heav-. winds and rain converge around the winds: Precipitation ranging from ier. Humid areas, like the South­ descending air, feeding into it. A very light to very heavy. It may fall eastern United States (where the sharp observer might be able to spot so hard during a thunderstorm that it downdraft is almost always associ­ the developing downburst if it is puts out the fire, or it may evaporate ated with moderate to heavy rain), outlined by rain because the before it hits the ground. usually experience wet downbursts. precipitation falls rapidly, reaching a With a change in weather comes a The wet downburst produces a core downward velocity of 65 miles per change in fire behavior-this time for of rain that is visible, although it hour (105 kn1lh). the worse. The fire changes direc­ may be obscured by associated When flying directly beneath a tion, previously controlled lines are weather. microburst, a pilot in a spotter plane lost, and a routine operation becomes Dry downbursts occur in more arid will find that the difference between life threatening. What happened? places like Colorado when cloud the headwind and the tailwind is typ­ bases are higher and precipitation. ically 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) as Detinition evaporates before the downdraft the winds spill out horizontaJly to reaches the ground (6). The dry either side of the parent cloud. Fujita The odds are high that the weather downburst might not be seen easily showed that in one case this dif­ event described in the introduction by either radar or observers in such ference exceeded 172 miles per hour was a downburst. A downburst is a cases, Both cumulonimbus clouds as (279 krn/h). downdraft associated with a thun­ weJl as less fully developed rain Several researchers have found a derstorm or other well-developed clouds can produce them. relationship between an observed cumulus clouds that induces all out­ During a study of microbursts temperature dropat surface and the burst of damaging winds on or near in the Denver area, Fujita and increased wind speed. The larger the the ground. When the burst is smaJl Wakimoto (5) found that 81 percent temperature change, the more severe (0.4-4 km or 0.25-2.5 mi in diarne- were the dry type. Little or no rain the wind gusts. The leading edge of

8 Fire Management Notes the horizontal movement of the wind gusts is called a gust front. As it FOUR STAGES of a GUST FRONT spreads horizontally, the gust front may develop as an expanding fluid MATURE THUNDERSTORM STAGE I structure many miles long, depending FORMATIVE STAGE on the strength of the downburst (fig. 1). ,. radar reflectivity detects the A Tragic Example .' ..\ advancing rain at low levels " ... , £ .. 1...--' The weather that occurred with the 1981 Florida wildland fire seems to have been a classical downburst (I). DISSIPATING THUNDERSTORM II Two men, operating a dozer and STAGE plow, attempted containment along r-_---,--,-..--,..-,.-...,..---...JEARLY MATURE STAGE I. I" '. the eastern flank of the Ransom Road 1.0 km,:: ;. '...... " Fire. A thunderstorm developed and '.' . \ I '. ·.; •' \.,'. '.' \ Precipitation winds abruptly changed from south I. Roll 0.5 ,. • "" 1., ," I to west. In response, the head of the , '. •• 0"; ..._- .... / .' '.',' f '•• fire changed from north to east, and , . , ' .. ,/ the flames overtook the two men, A tower with a recording anemometer to the northeast of the fire area DISSIPATING THUNDERSTORM STAGE III showed wind speeds increasing from LATE MATURE STAGE an average of 7 to 25 miles per hour (II to 41 krn/h) with gusts to 52 , "-:~'~'~";,~:\ miles per hour (84 km/h). Within 10 , -' . , .\ Pr.cipitation , ';'-_ .... minutes, the temperature fell from 82 , ----.... ',: '0 :\1 Roll • '" I ,'. , to 60 OF (28-16 -ci. The tower read­ '. : "'" Of ings ended at that point as lightning hit it. This then was a true wet-core NO THUNDERSTORM STAGE IV downburst as "a heavy rainstorm, DISSIPATING STAGE accompanied by thunder and light­ ning, descended on the fire area, lasting for 15 to 20 minutes and just

about completely extinguished the - .. / \ ~ -_ -~ wildfire" (/). ------_ .. ---- !?)

Forecast Possibilities Okm 10 20 30 40

Although wet downbursts are diffi­ Figure I-The four stages of a thunderstorm downburst and gust front. The precipitation roll is a cult to forecast, downbursts in a dry horizon/a! roll vortex formed by airflow that is deflected upward by the ground. Note the changes environment can be predicted from in wind direction as the gust front passes a point and moves on (9). morning upper-air soundings.

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 9 According to Caracena and Maier, Literature Cited "inroads have already been made into the microburst forecast problem I. u.s. Department of Interior. Fish and in understanding the dry end of the Wildlife Service. Report of Board of Inquiry on Merritt Island National Wildlife convective spectrum where the con­ Refuge wildfire fatalities. Kennedy Space cept of severe weather is extended to Center. Titusville. FL; 1981. 15 P plus conditions that favor strong down­ attachments. drafts from high base curnulonirnbi" 2. Caracena, F.; Maier, M.W. Analysis of a (2). They believe that to be able to microburst in the FACE meteorological mesonetwork in southern Florida. Monthly forecast downbursts in all parts of the. Weather Review. 115(5): 969-985; 1987. United States, meteorologists must 3. Eilts. M.D.; Doviak, RJ. Oklahoma first understand how nature generates down bursts and their asymmetry. Journal them over the entire range from wet of Climate and Applied Meteorology. to dry extremes. Forecasters then 26(1),69-78; t987. 4. Fujita, T.T. Manual of downburst could diagnose typical downburst identification for project NIMROD. conditions from the daily upper-air Research Paper 156; Chicago, IL: data. University of Chicago; 1978. 104 p. 5. Fujita, T.T.; Wakimoto. R.M. Microbursts Conclusions in JAWS depicted by Doppler radar, PAM, and aerial photographs. In: Preprinr of Proceedings, 21st conference on radar Even though research is taking the meteorology: 1982 September 19-23; surprise out of the dry downburst, Edmonton, AB; Boston, MA: American forecasting the wet downburst will be Meteorological Society; 1983: 638~645. a difficult problem for some time to 6. Monastersky, R. Mastering the microburst. Science News. 131(12): 185-187; 1987. come. Predicting the impressive 7. Schroeder, M.l.; Buck, c.c. Fire winds that accompany these down­ weather ... a guide for application of bursts remains an elusive goal. meteorological information to forest fire Accordingly, the Board of Inquiry control operations. Agric. Handb. 360. for the Ransom Road Fire aimed rec­ Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1970. 229 p. ommendations at the field level. The 8. Sherman, D.J. The passage of a weak Board felt that an observer in a spot­ thunderstorm down burst over an ter plane in direct contact with the instrumented tower. Monthly Weather Lets close the hook line crews could have anticipated the Review. 115(6):1193-1205; 1987. onforest fires. weather conditions and, hence, fire 9. Wakimoto. R.M. The life cycle of l'ZZ,....." behavior changes. This could have thunderstorm gust fronts as viewed with !"IA Public Service ofThis Magazine "i..r.:; Doppler radar and rawinsonde data. ~~ & The Advertising Council ~{" allowed directions for an escape Monthly Weather Review. 112(8):1060­ route. The Board also suggested that 1082; 1982. crews pull back from the fire during impending thunderstorms in areas with fuels that bum with high inten­ sity and rate of spread, as in the Ransom Road Fire. I!!!!I

10 Fire Management Notes Celebrity Wildfire Prevention ,!\llGI 1I11il DEPARTMENT Maynard Stoddard OF FORESTRY Assistant chief, Virginia Department of Forestry, Forest Fire Control, Charlottesville, VA

In 1984, the Virginia Department The posters have been displayed in a Nashville, Tennessee. The Tennessee of Forestry began a unique wildfire variety of businesses, such as country Division of Forestry worked with the prevention campaign. Nationally stores, music centers. restaurants. Department at the Nashville filming. known entertainers and Smokey Bear and banks. To keep the public's To continue the celebrity-Smokey were featured in a publicity campaign attention directed toward fire preven­ Bear fire prevention campaign, the using a series of wildfire prevention tion, the poster displays have been Department has issued an 8'/,_ by 11­ posters published by the Department changed every few months. Each inch lightweight, cardboard calendar for distribution throughout Virginia. poster change featured a different with a color photograph of Smokey Cathy Baker of the Nashville entertainer posing with Smokey and a and the Oak Ridge Boys. The reverse "Hee Haw" television program, the different fire prevention message, side of the calendar includes informa­ Statler Brothers, Roy Clark, Ernest Ten poster issues have been pro­ tion useful to students-tables of and Tova Borgnine, Sawyer Brown, duced, and 2,500 posters of each weights and measures and geometric Willard Scott of NBC's "Today" celebrity-Smokey Bear poster issue figures with formulas to compute show, and Ray Charles were among distributed. area. perimeter, and circumference. the entertainers who were photo­ For the Department's 1988 wallet These calendars, which also have a graphed with Smokey. calendar, Grandpa Jones of "Hee wildfire prevention message, will be Since the campaign started, two Haw" and Smokey were photo­ distributed to Virginia middle and new posters have been issued each graphed together during Smokey's high school students. year and distributed at the beginning week-long visit to the "Hee Haw" Interest shown by the public, the of the spring and fall fire seasons. set and the Grand Ole Opry in cooperativeness of businesses who allowed the posters to be displayed, and the number of requests for the posters show that this has been an effective way to present the wildfire prevention story to the public. The entertainers who participated in this program were contacted through their public relations repre­ sentatives and agents and sometimes directly. All were cooperative and interested. They considered it a pub­ lic service and received no payment for their participation. Fire prevention publicity during the next few years will concentrate on the upper school calendar cards with a photograph of Smokey and nationally known entertainers Iike those who have already participated and rock groups. _

The Statler Brothers working with Smokey Bear in fire prevention program.

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 11 Georgia's Fire Simulator GEORGIA John R. Burns, Jr. FORESTRY ~ ..,. o <:::> Training program director. Georgia Forestry ~A1I'i>":>" Commission, Macon, GA

"5 Yankee (fixed-wing aircraft) to The Need for Improved Training In addition to those capabilities, Hampton I (fire boss). Hampton I, the student can change location on I don't see any activity around With the growth of the urban-inter­ the fire at any time. Strategically Hampton 72. The fire has burned face problem from coast to coast, sound moves result in additional over the tractor, and I don't imagine wildland fire suppression has become information being provided about the the operator survived-no fire shelter more difficult and the frequency of fire. The amount of information sup­ is visible." life-threatening situations to fire­ plied depends on the advisability of "Hampton I, copy. I'll send a res­ fighters has greatly increased. Large­ the move. cue team into the area," scale wildland fires that often occur In Georgia, the county forest Forest firefighters hope they will on the West Coast are not com­ ranger (supervisor) is responsible for never have to engage in that kind of monplace in the Southern states. the suppression of all woodland and apprehensive conversation, but those However, to help prepare firefighters brush fires within his or her jurisdic­ that are experienced in firefighting for high-risk situations, the Georgia tion. Upon arrival on such a fire, the know that such a tragedy can happen Forestry Commission has devised a county forest ranger has two primary when you're dealing with something modern fire simulator so realistic that items with which to start planning as stubborn and unpredictable as fire! comments from students include fire suppression activities. These statements such as, "All you need to include a county grid map and a two­ add is the smoke!" Since the first way radio. In the fire simulator, this class of firefighters was introduced to and some fire weather information is Theseguys wantyou the simulator in December 1985, all the student is given to start the tostopwasting more than 500 State and forest indus­ exercise. No aerial view of the fire is try personnel have been trained and provided as in other simulators. The yourtaxdollars. tested in fire suppression tactics. student must depend on aircraft and ground crews to provide information How the Fire Simulator Training concerning the fire's behavior, ter­ Works rain, fuel types, and potential prob­ lems lying ahead. The main objective of the simula­ The Student Fire Boss. The stu­ tor is to give the student fire boss dents, usually five, are located in a "fircline" experience in a classroom room by themselves with maps of the setting. The system gives the student fire area and two hand-held radios. A the opportunity of reacting in practice fire boss is selected to begin the as he or she might react on an actual exercise. Periodically, each student is fire. given this responsibility. The fire Information Available to Stu­ problem continues to exist as the dents. Anything that would be read­ position is shifted from one to the ily available to the student in the other. Each trainee is expected to normal work area can be used during assume responsibility for fire this exercise. The student can request activities as they exist when he or and receive assistance from law she takes over. Each student must Yet every single year, over one billion in tax dollars goes up in smoke. Thai's what it COSts to enforcement groups, area fire depart­ pay close attention and be aware of protect our nation's resources and fight wildfires. ments, local emergency medical serv­ what is going on at all times. So, think of these famous faces next time you're in the great outdoors. And remember, only ices, or other agencies that may be The Team Role Players. In a you can prevent forest fires. needed to get the job done. room separated from the students (the

12 Fire Management Notes war room), a team of role players is traffic common on high-fire danger assembled with maps, radio, and tape days. One consistent observation has recorders. They are experienced fire been that students who do well in the management personnel playing the simulator perform well in the field. role of pilots, tower operators, fire The simulator is not a script-type. department personnel, truck and trac­ exercise. It is operated on a reactive tor operators, and others. The sincere basis. The team leader provides the manner in which they play their roles student with a scenario of the prob­ and the proper use of sound effects, lem and a weather forecast before the such as trucks, tractors, aircraft, and exercise starts. The scenario informs fire department equipment, create the the student of the location and start­ atmosphere needed to make the prob­ ing time of the fire, arrival point at lem realistic. The role players are the the scene, and the situation dis­ backbone of the fire simulator train­ covered upon arrival. The team ing. This group, the trainees, and all leader will start radio communica­ activities related to the fire are the tions several minutes before the stu­ responsibility of the team leader. dent becomes acclimated to the Periodically, the leader will check problem. Once the problem begins, with the student fire boss to be sure the role players react to the student's that he or she has not become con­ commands. The fire progresses at a fused or frustrated to the point of not rate consistent with the type of fuel, National Interagency Incident being able to function in that leader­ weather, and topography in the prob­ Management System (NIIMS) ship role. If this happens during the lem area. approach. It can be used to train exercise, the training is stopped and The Review, At the end of the overhead teams. fire chiefs. forest the student is brought up to date on exercise, the students are brought industry personnel, or multi state fire the fire activities and equipment loca­ into the war room and given a cri­ organizations. tion. After this has been done, the tique of their performance by the Currently, the Georgia Forestry exercise picks up where it left off. team leader. By observing the opera­ Commission is working with the The problem runs for a specified tions map, the students see exactly State of Florida to develop a simula­ time period and is concluded after where the fire burned, what is con­ tor problem depicting a major fire on that period has elapsed whether the sumed, and where firelines and their common border. fire is contained or not. equipment are located. The most COmmon statement heard During the exercise, the students The uniqueness of the simulator is from those who have completed this have been presented a very difficult that the student operates from a real­ course is this: "It is the closest any­ fire situation in an accelerated time­ life perspective. The student' must one could come without actually frame. While in the simulator, the operate in the simulator as at the being on a fire." student must decide where to place scene of a fire. The primary goal of Video tapes are available that give fire suppression crews, obtain backup the exercise is not that the fire be a brief, but complete view, of the units, provide assistance for fireline contained, but to teach the skills of simulator in action. Contact John R. injuries, handle mechanical failures, initial attack, strategy, fire organiza­ Burns, Jr., Training Program Direc­ and attempt to solve many other tion, and operations. The simulator tor, Georgia Forestry Commission, problems that arise on an actual fire. can be adapted for use under any P.O. Box 819, Macon, GA One of the more stressful aspects of system, whether it is the old "Large 31298-4599, Telephone (912) the exercise is the continuous radio Fire Organization" or the newer 744-3259.•

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 13 Interagency Regional Training Groups

James B. Whitson

Cooperative fire protection manager, Florida Division of Forestry. Tallahassee. FL

With the advent of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group groups within geographical regions. Interagency Incident Management (NWCG) Training Working Team Such groups, where established, have System (NIIMS), wildland fire pro­ (TWT) has designed and imple­ demonstrated an increase in the inter­ tection agencies have entered into mented a procedure to do this. The agency sharing of training resources cooperative training efforts at the following outlines this procedure. and the development, planning, and regional and local level. Groups have scheduling of training courses to formed to develop materials and train Background meet needs of agencies within the with those who have similar prob­ region. They have also provided lems and interests. In addition, the In October 1975, the NWCG assistance to the TWT in complet­ new Wildland/Urban Fire Protection established the TWT for the purpose ing training development work of Initiative is incorporating structural of developing and coordinating fire national need and priority. fire protection agencies into these management training programs for At its July 1987 meeting, the TWT groups and strengthening them even Federal, State, and local fire protec­ discussed ways to recognize and sup­ more. tion agencies. For the past several port such groups formally and further To better coordinate and communi­ years, the TWT has encouraged the encourage their establishment in cate with these groups, the National formation of interagency training additional regions. Such an action

Wildland Fire Training Over 139 participants received roles, and other topics important to :Officers' Conference--1988 up-to-date information on training training in wildland firefighting. _ techniques, philosophies, participant The 1988 Wildland Fire Training Officers' Conference, entitled "Back to the Future," was held in Boise, ID, at the Training Center at the Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC) on January 25-28, 1988. ·The staff of the BIFC performed superbly in planning and executing the conference. Leaders of the Con­ ference and agency directors commended organizers and facilita­ tors for the fine work they had done. The Incident Command System · was used in organizing and carrying out the conference. Conference Incident Commander, Frank Boden, and Operations Section Chief, Bob ·Webber, of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Conference Organizers: (Back row. left 10 right) Amos Davis, Jan Henderson. Frank Boden. : Affairs and Bureau of Land Man­ Arnold Hartigan. Don Willis. Lamar St. John; (middle row. left to right) John Block. Boyd Wiles, : agement, respectively, led the Laurel Simos. Nina walken. Shari Hanel. Dick Terry; (front row. left to right) Patti webber, Mike ·conference. Utecht, Stan Palmer, Ruby Heisey, Rita Gates, and Bub Webber.

14 Fire Management Notes would benefit interagency fire train­ Two Wisconsin Fire include the Lassie television series ing cooperation within the regional Specialists Honored and Walt Disney. areas as well as nationally in these David Sleight, a fire control ways: Two Wisconsin Department of assistant in Mercer, WI, received a • Provide a more effective exchange Natural Resources' employees have Smokey Bear citation for his work of information and training needs received awards for their efforts in in forest fire prevention over the among regional areas and the TWT. preventing wildfires. past 15 years. Sleight helped • Provide a pool of qualified people James Miller, a forest fire staff develop county fair displays and and resources to accomplish national specialist stationed at Rhinelander, parade tloats. He also worked interagency training development WI, received the Golden Smokey extensively with grade school work. Award for developing methods that educators developing forest tire pre­ have reduced the number of wild­ vention programs for the classroom. Procedure fires caused by railroads. Many of Sleight also resurrected the nation's the procedures developed by Miller first Smokey Bear suit (circa 1950) The TWT will actively support the have been implemented nationwide. and designed a display case for it. formation and function of Inter­ He also assisted in the development The awards were presented at the agency Regional Training Groups by of a cost-efficient locomotive spark 21st annual meeting of Northeast expanding their role and encouraging arrester. Previous winners of the Forest Fire Supervisors held in participation at TWT meetings and Golden Smokey Bear statuette Brookfield, WI. • conferences. Each group is encour­ aged to select a representative to serve as liaison with the TWT. Rep­ resentatives serving as liaison will be invited to TWT meetings individually or as a group. Each will be a nonvot­ ing but active participant. Each group will provide travel costs for its liai­ son to attend one or more TWT meetings each year. The TWT is fully committed to supporting Interagency Regional Training Groups, for they provide a primary means and resource to accomplish its purpose.•

James Miller of Rhinelander, WI. with David Sleight of Mercer. WI, with Smokey Golden Smokey Award. Bear citation,

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 15 Estimating Slope for Predicting Fire Behavior

Patricia L. Andrews Mathematician, USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT

When predicting fire behavior in 18 DEAD FUEL MOISTURE =6% the field, it is desirable to be able to LIVE FUEL MOISTURE 100% obtain the required input information = with a minimum of special equip­ NO WIND ment. This article tells how to esti­ 16 mate slope (percent) using materials in a belt weather kit. This method can be used on wildfires by fire 14 behavior analysts, field observers, and strike team leaders. Those who are monitoring fires that are not 12 receiving full suppression action, such as prescribed fires in wilder­ t: ness, will find it especially useful. ~ To predict fire behavior, a fire t; 10 specialist must supply values for fuel z 1&1 model, fuel moisture, windspeed, ..I and slope. Calculations can be done 1&1 8 using tables, nomograms, calculators, :I ce or computer programs (1). As ..I described by Rothermel in "How to II. Predict the Spread and Intensity of 6 Forest and Range Fires" (2), fuels are classified as a, particular fuel model by observation (3); windspeed is measured; live fuel moisture is estimated by the state of curing; dead fuel moisture is determined by an estimate of shade and measurements 21-.---"".,,- of temperature and relative humidity; and slope is determined from a topo­ graphic map, estimated, or measured with an instrument such as a clinom­ o 10 20 eter. Slope can also be estimated with adequate precision using the PERCENT SLOPE method described here. Figure I illustrates the effect of Figure 1-The influence of slope on calculated flame length is shown for jour fuel models under constant wind and fuel moisture conditions. slope on predicted flame length for four fuel models: 4-chaparral; 13­ heavy logging slash; 2-timber litter and understory; and 9-hardwood using BEHAVE (4), A resolution of account. On the other hand, the litter. In this example there is nu less than 5 percent is ciearly not nec­ value for percent siope has enough wind, dead fuel moisture is 6 per­ essary, especially when all of the influence that a poor estimate may cent, and live fuel moisture is 100 other uncertainties involved in fire lead to a significant over or under percent. Calculations were done behavior prediction are taken into prediction.

16 Fire Management Notes Attach a copy ot this diagram to the board in a belt weather kit. Notch the board where the lines converge. Hang the compass from the notch as a plumb.

Sight along the edge ot the board parallel to the slope. Note where the string lies. Read slope to the nearest 5 percent.

-.- .-- .-­ -- -

PERCENT SLOPE

o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1\\\\\\""""

Figure 2-ArrQch a copy of this diagram to the board in a bell weather kit. (The slight distortion caused by conying is unimportGIlt.) Notch the board where the lines converge. Hang the compass from the notch as a plumb.

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 17 The lines in figure 2 represent slope percentages from a to 100. Using a sheet of adhesive acetate, attach a copy of figure 2 to the board in a belt weather kit. Notch the board where the lines converge. Hang the compass by its neckstring at the notch to serve as a plumb. Sight along the board parallel to the slope, as shown in figure 3. Noting where the string lies, read the slope to the nearest 5 percent. This method of estimating slope is a simple, no-cost alternative to eye­ ball estimates, which are notoriously poor, and to instruments such as clinometers, which are expensive and give a level of resolution not required for fire behavior prediction.•

Literature Cited

(I) Andrews. P.L Methods of calculating fire behavior-you do have a choice. Fire Management Notes. 47(2): 6-10: IY~6. (2) Rothermel. R.C. How to predict the spread and intensity of forest and range fires. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-143. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station; 191B. 161 p. (3) Anderson, H.E. Aids to determining fuel models for estimating fire behavior. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-122. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Intermountain Forest and Range Experi­ ment Station; 1992. 20 p. (4) Andrews, P.L. BEHAVE: Fire behavior prediction and fuel modeling system­ BURN subsystem, Part I. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-194. Ogden. UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station; 1986. t30 p.

18 Fire Management Notes Railroad Fire Prevention Course

James Miller Forest fire staff specialist, Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources, Rhinelander, WI

In 1978. the Northeastern Area choose individuals from anywhere in effort, the team identified the sub­ State and Private Forestry entered the United States who he thought jects needing to be covered, into an Intergovernmental Personnel would be able to help carry this developed the format for the presen­ Act agreement (!PAl with the project to completion. The NFFS tations, assigned specific course Wisconsin Department of Natural required that the course be written to development topics, and began the Resources for a 2-year study of the NWCG standards, that it be usable job of putting the course together. railroad-caused forest fire problem in by all members of the forest fire Background materials and resources the 20 States in the Area. The need management community, and that it were drawn from the fire community for this study had been identified by be up to date. Arrangements were in an effort to keep "wheel reinven­ the Northeast Forest Fire Supervisors made for the State of Indiana's forest -tion" to a minimum. There was not (NFFS). fire control coordinator to administer a lot out there, but what was avail­ The study found that there was a the funding out of the NFFS Motion able was of considerable help. need to develop a railroad fire pre­ Picture Development Fund. vention training course to provide Course Testing forest fire prevention personnel with The Development Team the basic tools for dealing with the In 1985, the North East Area problem. In 1980, the National Asso­ The team assembled to develop the Training Officer (NEATO) was ciation of State Foresters' (NASF) course consisted of Roger Fitch, fire assigned the responsibility of work­ Railroad Fire Prevention Committee prevention engineer of the Union ing with the team to test the package, addressed this need in a resolution. Pacific Railroad; John Graff, forest complete any development work that In addition, the Fire Prevention fire supervisor for the Common­ was needed, provide the support nec­ Working Team (FPWT) recom­ wealth of Virginia; Ernest Halley, essary to finish the drafting, and mended the development of the train­ Chicago and North Westem Trans­ begin the review process. ing course to its parent group, the portation Company; Russ Johnson, Arrangements were made to test National Wildfire Coordinating fire prevention specialist. U.S. the package at the Middle Atlantic Group (NWCG). The NWCG, Department of Agriculture Forest Compact's (MAC) September train­ however, concluded that the need to Service, San Bernardino National .ing meeting at Emmitsburg, MD. train for and implement the Incident Forest; Jim Miller, locomotive Participants in the MAC's September Command System was more urgent inspector. Wisconsin Department of training meeting suggested changes .J than the development of a railroad Natural Resources; and Don West­ to improve the training program, and fire prevention training course and, over, fire supervisor, State of on the basis of their comments, consequently, the training course was Nebraska. They met in Hammond, extensive revisions were made to the given low priority. IN, in late 1984 to begin the work of course during the winter of 1985-86. •putting the program together. Billie In June 1986, the second test was Course Goals, Standards, and Stillson of the U.S. Department of conducted at Redding, CA, when the Funding the Interior Bureau of Land Manage­ course was presented to representa­ ment, Boise Interagency Fire Center, tives of the California Department of At its 1983 meeting in Hyannis, served as training development coor­ Forestry, the State of Oregon Depart­ MA, the NFFS voted to underwrite dinator and facilitator. Stephen ment of Forestry, USDA Forest the cost of developing a railroad fire Creech, Indiana Department of For­ Service and the USDI Bureau of prevention training program of a estry. was the host and support Land Management. The course was quality that would meet its needs and coordinator. slightly modified as a result of the at the same time be usable at the Using an-earlier work of the Redding presentation. The final draft national level. The team chairman FPWT that identified the tasks of the course was then submitted to was selected and authorized to involved in a railroad fire prevention the FPWT and NWCG for review

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 19 and eventual inclusion. it is hoped, essary, or as a part of a longer lems that could cause fires and in in the national system as P-211, Rail­ course. It is designed for use by pre­ finding solutions to those problems. (road Fire Prevention. vention personnel of any wildland A list of references is also available. firefighting agency, including volun­ Without the field trip, the course is Topics and Materials teer fire departments. approximately 12 hours long. The instructor's guide provides While the course is being reviewed The course materials currently instructions for setting up a field trip and edited, copies of the instructor's under review consist of an instruc­ to a railroad facility for inspection of guide and student's guide can be tor's guide, student's guide, and 490 locomotives. At this time, an illus­ obtained from North East Area Train­ 35-millimeter slides. The course trated glossary is included only in the ing Center, c/o Wisconsin Depart­ includes units on the following instructor's guide, but a similar glos­ ment of Natural Resources (WIDNR) topics: sary is planned for the student's Equipment and Training Center, 518 • Railroad operations. guide. The student's guide is a West Somo Avenue, Tomahawk, WI • Railroad hazards. looseleaf publication and should 54487. Since so many slides are • Railroad risks. serve as a useful reference after the used, there is a charge for a set of • Hazard reduction. course is completed. Some handouts them. Price information and copying • Risk modification. have been prepared that the student services are available by contacting • Safety practices. will be able to adapt for use at the NEATO Bill Martini at (715) • Investigation. home station in carrying out a local 453-2188 or WIDNR Training • Railroad fire prevention plan. railroad fire prevention program. Officer John Grosman at the same The course is organized so that each Other handouts will help the user in number. _ unit can be taught separately, if nee- field identification of railroad prob-

Alkaline "D" Battery Safety leak was from a canteen, the fire­ • Alkaline batteries were used Alert fighter ignored it until he had instead of carbon-zinc batteries. Two incidents involving alkaline received a first-degree burn about Alkaline batteries should not be "D" 1.5-volt batteries occurred the size of a silver dollar. used in a headlamp battery pack. during the 1987 fire season, expos­ We discussed these incidents with The appropriate battery is a carbon I ing a potentially dangerous safety the staff at the Missoula Technol­ zinc, size D, industrial battery ~.i hazard: ogy and Development Center available from the General Services • An alkaline "D" battery in a (MTDC). The electronics staff at Administration (GSA). The GSA standard four-battery head lamp rup­ MTDC believes these incidents stock number for this battery is: tured and caused an explosion. were caused for the following 6135-00-835-7211. The Boise Initial investigation indicated the reasons: Interagency Fire Center (BIFC) probable cause of the rupture was • The batteries were not correctly Warehouse National Fire Equipment the removal of the exterior plastic installed in series (positive to nega­ System number is 0029. coating at the bottom and top necks tive) in the battery pack. Batteries It is also important to inspect bat­ of the two top batteries. As a result, must be installed in a series with teries carefully for any damage. If the two bottom batteries shorted positive to negative for all four bat­ damaged, they should be discarded. out, overheated, and then caused an teries. If one of the four batteries is MTDC personnel stated that taking explosion. inserted incorrectly. it will be the above precautions should pre­ • Electrolytes leaked in the battery. charged in reverse by the other vent further safety hazards. - pack of a firefighter's headlamp, three, causing it to leak or become burning its wearer. Thinking the hot enough to rupture.

20 Fire Management Notes Cannibalization of Federal it has been disposed of completely. • Unauthorized cannibalizations. Excess Property on Loan to After all usable parts have been • Cannibalization of operable State Foresters removed, Block 5 of the AD-I 12 equipment. should be signed. dated, and • Requests to cannibalize equip­ returned to the Forest Service. To ment that are actually lost or From time to time, the State For­ remove the equipment from the esters find it necessary to canni­ missing (to remove from inventory property records, the proper dis­ record). balize Forest Service property on posal document (SF-120 or SF­ loan to them, both to keep similar • Lack of record adjustment 126) needs to be submitted. equipment operable and to modify when FEPP is authorized for Cannibalization and disposal docu­ military equipment for fire pro­ cannibalization. ments. like acquisition documents, tection. Most of the property in • Cannibalizing major equipment should be signed by the State question is used military equipment for small minor components. loaned to the State Foresters by the Forester. • Mass cannibalizations that Some cannibalization will result USDA Forest Service through the create unmanageable boneyards. in one or more pieces of nonac­ Federal Excess Personal Property • Failure to report cannibalized countable or accountable property. (FEPP) program. carcass for disposal in time allotted. This will require an adjustment to Some think 2'h-ton military frames Cannibalization is defined as the the property records of the State are junk. As long as they are not practice of disassembling unservice­ Foresters and the Forest Service. bent, folded, or mutilated, they are able equipment for the purpose of using serviceable parts on other This is accomplished through agree­ valuable as undercarriage for mon­ ment between both parties to adjust similar units. The removal of any ster cars, support beams, founda­ acquisition costs and determine the tions. and just plain scrap metal. parts other than minor parts is cannibalization. nomenclature for new property These arc actions that cause trou­ items. ble with your State Forester, the Cannibalization should be limited USDA Forest Service, USDA to property that is uneconomical to Again, advance approval is Office of the Inspector General, repair and has no value to other required to insure that operable General Accounting Office, the users in the program. An alternative equipment or equipment needed by State Agency for Surplus Property, to the cannibalization of the limited another unit or agency is not indis­ number of military vehicles avail­ criminately disassembled or and other State forestry agencies. Some of these actions could endan­ able through FEPP is to purchase destroyed. Cannibalization should ger participation in the FEPP repair parts from military supply be completed within a reasonable Program. _ depots through the MILSTRIP sys­ timefrarne, not to exceed 18 months tem. Contact your Forest Service after the processing of the AD-112. property manage­ Cooperative Fire staff member for A disposal action will be required Francis R. Russ, ment specialist, USDA Forest details. for the remaining frame or carcass and an adjustment to the property Service, Fire and Aviation Manage­ If cannibalization of loaned Fed­ record. With the approval of the ment, Washington, DC eral property is necessary, an Forest Service, some cannibaliza­ advance request and approval from tions can be authorized on the the Forest Service on Form AD­ SF-I22 at the time of acquisition. 112, "Report of Unserviceable, Lost, or Damaged Property," is Accountable property acquired in this manner should be listed on the required. Cannibalization itself is a property records until disposal. form of use and is not disposal of Cannibalization pitfalls, such as the property. Property should not be the following, should be avoided: removed from property records until

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 21 The Georgia Rural Fire GEORGIA Defense Program FORESTRY ("> ~"" Don C. Freyer t?~4fI~""" Rural fire defense coordinator, Georgia Forestry Commission, Macon, GA

In the late 1960's, the Georgia protection and its many benefits to instances, the Commission has fur­ Forestry Commission recognized the their local residents and to visitors. nished pumps, hose, reels, and mis­ ., ~r necessity to supplement its fire sup­ The RFD program goals are as cellaneous items to cooperators as it \:l pression services. Rangers' pickups follows: became available through the FEPP 'I ~ with 80-gallon fiberglass tanks, • Establish voluntary fire protec­ program for vehicles or trucks pur­ Panama pumps, and varying lengths tion programs to existing unprotected chased by local departments. I of -Yol-inch hose would not always rural communities by establishing an For many years, rural volunteer provide adequate suppression when initial fire protection program. firefighting groups usually responded water use was necessary. Forestry • Strengthen existing small town to only natural cover fires (forest, units were continually called to struc­ and city programs. grass, and brush) since their equip­ tural and vehicle fires because there • Prepare and update countywide ment, training, and communications were no other fire suppression forces master fire plans. did not lend itself to the suppression available outside of city fire depart­ • Provide the Forestry Commis­ of structural or vehicle fires. To ment boundaries. When called to this sion with a back-up force of men and increase the firefighting capability, type of fire, the forest fire suppres­ equipment for emergency forest fire improve the effectiveness of these sion units were usually unable to take use. rural fire departments, and provide adequate suppression action. for safer operation of equipment. the Equipment Forestry Commission developed the Program Startnp 950-gallon "fire knocker." This unit The Forestry Commission will loan enabled volunteer personnel to have The Forestry Commission initiated and lease equipment for firefighting the capability of continuing to assist its Rural Fire Defense (RFD) pro­ purposes under a cooperative lease the Forestry Commission in natural gram in June 1968. The Georgia agreement with a government entity. cover fire suppression as well as Natural Disaster Operations Plan des­ A "government entity" is considered being able to suppress structural fires ignated the Forestry Commission as to be the Board of County Commis­ effectively and adequately. the primary agency responsible for sioners or the mayor of a town with The fire knocker continues to be the function of fire control in rural a registered active State charter. updated to provide volunteers with a areas. The RFD program was made The Commission leases equipment unit that best suits needs across the possible under Section 2 of the of various types to cooperators state. AI,250-gallon and a 1,560­ Clarke-McNary Act of 1924, which through the FEPP program. Cooper­ gallon water supply unit are also authorized the Secretary of Agricul­ ators can lease equipment that they available on a lease basis. The front­ ture to cooperate with State forestry agree to develop into serviceable fire­ mount pump tanker is a Class "A" agencies in wildland fire protection, fighting units or equipment already pump with the same I,250- or 1,560­ and the Federal Property and Admin­ modified by the Commission for fire gallon tank and quick dump. Units istrative Services Act of 1949 author­ use. Most equipment leased are units are suitable for mounting on a truck izing the loan of Federal Excess such as quick response vehicles, fire chassis furnished by the leasing gov­ Personal Property (FEPP) to a State knockers, mobile water supply units, ernment entity _The unit is paid for agency such as the Georgia Forestry and front-mount pump tankers which by the lessee on a lump-sum basis Commission through the U.S. have been converted by Commission prior to delivery and is "on lease" Department of Agriculture Forest personnel in Commission facilities. for a 50-year period. Recently, the Service's Cooperative Fire Control These units are leased at material Forestry Commission added to its program. cost and have proved to be highly services the loan of pumps and other The RFD program has enabled efficient and effective pieces of equipment for the delivery of water local government entities in almost equipment provided at a cost which to tankers and the transport of this every Georgia county to provide fire communities can afford. In many water to the fire scene.

22 Fire Management Notes FEPP of all types is distributed, as In preparing a master fire plan, son it is destined to remain so. Each available. on the basis of a request Commission personnel consider what community has a set of conditions received from a qualifying govern­ is practical and economically feasible unique to itself, and a system of fire ment entity on a Georgia fire control for a community. All counties cannot protection that works well for one form (FC-61). However, the number finance a full-time paid fire depart­ community cannot be: assumed to of major pieces of equipment being ment or the most expensive equip­ work equally well for other commu­ issued is not increasing at the pace ment. A practical plan that can be nities. To be adequate, the fire pro­ it has in the past because of the implemented is much better than a tection system must respond to local decrease in availability of FEPP and costly plan that is impossible to conditions, especially to changing the necessity for replacing unservice­ finance and operate. conditions. Planning is the key: able vehicles that have been in the The primary goal of master fire Without local-level planning, the sys­ program for many years. plans is the protection of life and tem of fire protection is apt to be ill­ property from fire. The secondary suited to local needs and lag behind Training and Planning Service purpose is to improve the fire as the community changes. defense in the area of protection. In The planning process includes a The RFD program is geared to preparing the plan, every considera­ complete assessment of existing provide timely technical assistance to tion is also given to providing a serv­ protection, an analysis of the fire RFD cooperators and their personnel. ice which will help a community problem, and a recommended fire Advice and assistance are provided meet the requirements of the Insur­ organization to meet the community's RFD departments throughout the ance Services Office of the State of needs efficiently. After adoption of State on a continual basis. Requests Georgia for an insurance classifica­ the plan by county government, the for assistance are received from the tion rating. Forestry Commission stands ready to volunteer departments through the Fire protection has been largely a provide technical assistance in imple­ local Forestry Commission rangers. local responsibility, and for good rea- menting the plan. _ The Forestry Commission does not provide basic firefighting training since this training is supplied by the Georgia Fire Academy. The Forestry Commission also offers countywide master fire plan­ Birds can'tcall ning service to county government entities that request this service. for help The first step to successful fire when thewoods protection for any community is a sincere desire of the governing offi­ are onfire. cials and the citizens to plan, orga­ nize, and implement the program on the local level for the protection of But you can help. life and property. Once a decision is Get the number of your made on the local level to develop a fire department. fire protection program, an official, Then call if request from the governing officials you need help. of the county should be forwarded to the Forestry Commission for assist­ Birdscant. r.wt A Public Service ~~ ofThis Publication & The Advertising Council ance in preparing a master fire plan.

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 23 fOREST Production Guidelines for Q TECHNOLOGY SCHOOl Initial Attack Hotspottlnqt

Dennis Quintilio, Peter J. Murphy, and Paul M. Woodard Universityeof Alberta Senior fire control instructor, Alberta Forest Technology School, Hinton, AB, and, respectively, associate dean afforestry and associate professor, University ofAlberta, Edmonton, AB

Introduction approximately 70 kilometers (43 mil Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index east of Wabasca, AB (lat. 55°58' N, System (CFFWIS) variables. Hourly Much literature has been publisheo long. 113°50' E). Much of the vege­ wind speeds from the weather station since the 1930's concerning the rate tation in this area consists of muskeg were used to calculate adjusted of production ofhand-constructed and is of low commercial value. values for the Initial Spread Index at fireline (McReynolds 1936, Anon. However, there are raised islands of the time of ignition. Supplementary 1940, Hulett 1940, Hanson 1941, typical boreal forest stands composed weather observations were made on Hanson and Abell 1941, Lindquist of jack pine (Pinus banksiana site as necessary. 1970, Ramberg 1974, Bratten 1978, Lamb.), black spruce (Picea mariana Crew standards were established as Murphy and Quintilio 1978, Haven (Mill.) B.S.P.), and white spruce (P. follows: trained crews fighting the et al. 1982, Schmidt and Rinehart glauca (Moench) Voss). A detailed fire in an initial attack mode; full 1982). In the boreal forest of north­ description of the environmental and crew readiness; and fresh in attack ern Alberta, continuous hand-con­ vegetation characteristics of the area capability, employing a hotspotting structed fireline is rarely used during can be found in Strong and Leggat technique. Crew size ranged from initial attack. Initial attack actions (1981). seven to nine members with six to usually involve hotspotting by crews eight crew members actually attack­ of three to six members accompanied Methods ing the fire. Each crew was accom­ by a helicopter equipped with a panied by a helicopter with bucket to bucket, and airtanker delivery of Potential sites for the test fires assist with control, if necessary, and water or chemical retardants. The were selected in representative to later assist in mop-up operations. objective of this action is to contain upland forest types within the study A grid of reference stakes was the fire quickly and efficiently by area. All sites had a homogeneous placed on each burning site to aid in stopping any flaming combustion, cover of representative boreal fuels measuring rates of fire spread. Prog­ thus halting fire spread. Cold trailing and were bordered by features such ress of the bums was monitored by and infrared scanning are subse­ as wet areas that would aid in backup two video cameras: one hand-held by quently used during mop-up to fire control. The overstory vegetation an observer along the fire edge and ensure 'that fires are completely on the selected sites was dominated the other by an aerial observer in a extinguished. by either jack pine or black spruce. helicopter. In addition, verbal com­ This paper presents measurements Jack pine was the most common for­ mentary notes were dictated to of initial attack hotspotting produc­ est type in the area. Black. spruce is provide a running assessment of fire tion rates on a series of test burns considered the most flammable type characteristics including flame performed in the boreal forest of due to the vertical and horizontal height, length, and depth; candling, northern Alberta. These rates are continuity of fuels in this type. crowning, and spotting behavior; and then compared with continuous line Because of their high flammability, rate of spread and observations on production rates in similar fuel types. black spruce stands are expected to the techniques and effectiveness of present the greatest challenge to ini­ the attack. Study Area tial attack efforts, Fires were ignited with fusees and A portable recording weather sta­ allowed to grow to a size of O.10 to Prescribed bums were conducted tion was established in an open area 0.25 hectares (0.25 to 0.60 acres). by the Alberta Forest Service (AFS) approximately 10 kilometers (6 mil, At that point the crew was called in east of the proposed bum areas. to attack. Time to control was Daily noon readings of temperature, defined as the length of time from rrhe Canadian Forestry Service provided financial sup­ port for this study fhrough the program for research by relative humidity, wind speed, and crew arrival at the fire until the last Universities in Forestry (PRUF). The Alberta Forest Serv­ 24-hour precipitation from this sta­ perimeter flame was out. Mop-up ice provided assistance in the form of manpower, equip­ ment, and location for tesnnq. tion were used to calculate values for time was considered a separate

24 Fire Management Notes I I function and is not included in our bums to the mean expected rate for found between weather-related vari­ 'ye analysis. the simulations. This comparison and ables, fire behavior variables, and Eight bums (four in jack pine and adjustment was done independently fireline production rates. ,r four in black spruce) were conducted for jack pine fuel types and black Correlation coefficients were cal­ I between August I and 5, 1986. One spruce fuel types. culated to relate hotspotting fireline I additional burn was conducted in a Full documentation of fuel types, production rates to on-site weather. I , jack pine stand on July 24, 1987. on-site weather, and fireline produc­ CFFWIS variables, and observed fire Calculations of rates of held-line tion rates is difficult during actual behavior. productivity for the test fires were initial attack operations. The use of based on the final perimeter of the prescribed fires is a new approach for Results and Discussion fire, number of crew members actu­ assessing the productivity of initial ally attacking the fire, and time to attack crews. This approach proved The nine sites selected for test control. Construction rates for contin­ to be extremely valuable during this fires were characterized by an open uous handline were taken from initial study. The researchers gained a great overstory canopy ("'50% crown clo­ attack simulations described by Mur­ deal of insight from watching crews sure) and relatively low tree heights phy et al. (1987). In order to deter­ at work on actual fires and learned ("'18 m or '" 59 ft) (table I). All nine mine whether the fuel types for the how crew leaders evaluate fires and fires developed into running surface prescribed bums were comparable to allocate personnel and equipment. fires (table I). Candling was those for the initial attack simula­ Video tapes of the prescribed fires observed on all four fires in black tions, expected fireline production provided valuable training materials spruce stands and on two of the five rates, based on fuel resistance, were for other crews as well as those fires in jack pine stands (table I). calculated as described by Murphy involved in the study. Debriefing of Crowning occurred during two of the and Quintilio (1978). The expected fire crews was of great training fires conducted in black spruce rates in the fuel types where the pre­ value, and the efficiency and produc­ stands (table I). Values for average scribed bums were conducted were tivity of the crews appeared to rate of spread, flame length, and greater than the expected rates for the increase with subsequent fires. This flame depth were relatively low for simulations. In order to account for apparent learning factor may have all nine fires (table I). this difference in fuel types, the masked some of the effects of fuel The average hotspotting rate of measured rates for the simulations types and weather-related variables held-line production in jack pine was were multiplied by the ratio of the on production rates. This may have 282 meters (925 ft) per man-hour mean expected rate for the prescribed contributed to the low correlations compared with 52 meters (171 ft) per

Table I-Overstory cover-type characteristics and fire behavior for nine test fires conducted in the boreal forest of northern Alberta

Overstory cover-type and Tree species for nine test fires' fire behavior characteristics Test 1 (Pj) Test 2 (Pi) Test 3 (Pi) Test 4 (Pi) Test 5 (Pi) Test 6 (Sb) Test 7 (Sb) Test 8 (Sb) Test 9 (Sb) Crown closure (%) 6--30 31-50 31-50 &-30 31-50 &-30 31-50 &-30 &-30 Tree height (m) 13--18 13--18 13--18 13--18 &-12 &-12 &-12 &-12 &-12 Running surface ftree y y y y y y y y y Oandlinqe N y N N Y y y y y Crowning 2 NNNNNN Y y N Ra.te of sprea.d (~.ver~ge, m/min) 2.8 1.3 0.6 1.0 1.0 1.5 3.3 2_1 22 Flame length (rn) 0.33 0.44 0.33 0.33 0.25 0.75 1.00 2.00 1.50 Flame depth (m) 0.67 0.50 1.00 0.18 0.15 0.50 1.00 1.50 1.00

1Pj is the abbreviation lor jack pine and Sb, for black spruce. 2Y identifies observed lire behavior; N identifies unobserved fire behavior.

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 25 IJ man-hour for construction of contin­ I Continuous ) uous handline (fig. I). In black D Hand Line spruce, the average hotspotting rate ..-. of held-line production was 232 .... 350 meters (761 ft) per man-hour com­ :::J ~ Hotspotting o pared with 30 meters (98 ft) per .c man-hour for construction of contin­ I +Standard uous handline (fig. I). Although sta­ C --1-- Error tistical tests of significance would be CO 300 inappropriate due to our small sample E <, size, the magnitude of the differences clearly. demonstrates the superiority E of hotspotting as an initial attack - 250 technique. c Correlations between hotspotting o +-' rate of held-line production and on­ U site weather, CFFWIS, and fire :::J behavior variables are very weak "0 200 (table 2). Rate of held-line produc­ ....o tion seems to be most dependent on a.. Fine Fuel Moisture Code, tempera­ Q) ture, and flame depth. Because of the c small sample size for this study, 150 these correlations should only be --'I used as an indication of which vari­ "0 ables should be most closely exam­ Q) I ined during further research. It is I 100 I hoped that with data from more fires, ...... • multiple regression analysis may o :1 provide more meaningful results. It Q) +-' should also be noted that all of the CO J fires examined in this study burned at a: 50 I low intensities as indicated by flame c I lengths (table I). The addition of CO : data from fires burning at higher Q) intensities may reveal different rela­ ~ I tionships than those found here.• o n=8 n=5 n=5 n=4 Literature Cited I Jack Pine Black Spruce I. Anon. Progressive step-up organization. Fire Control Notes. 4:173-177; 1940. 2. Bratten, F.W. Containment tables for ini­ tial attack on forest fires. Fire Technology. Figure l-Comparison of hotsponing rates of held-line production to rates of continuous handline t4:297-303: 1978. production in jack pine and black spruce forest tvpes in northern Alberta.

26 Fire Management Notes , Table 2-Correlafion coefficients between notspotting rate of held-fine production and on-site It weather. Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System (CFFWIS), and fire behavior variables for I lest fires in northern Alberta Coefficient of correlation with Variable n hotspotting rate P On-site weather Temperature 9 0.51 0.079 Relative humidity 9 -0.36 0.169 Wind speed 9 -0.14 0.362 CFFWIS Fine Fuel Moisture Code 9 0.56 0.059 Duff Moisture Code 9 0.09 0.406 Drought Code 9 -0.16 0.342 Initial Spread Index 9 -0.001 0.499 Adjusted Initial Spread index' 9 0.20 0.303 Buildup Index 9 0.11 0.393 Fire Weather Index 9 0.06 0.441 Fire behavior Average rate of spread 9 -0.37 0.164 Maximum rate of spread 9 0.45 0.110 Flame length 9 0.14 0.355 Flame depth 9 0.48 0.097

'Initial spread index calculated with noon Fine Fuel Moisture Code and Windspeed at lime 01 ignition.

3. Hanson, E.A. Man-hours of work required ting production rates. CFS Info. Rep. to construct varying lengths of line under NOR-X-197. Edmonton, AB: Canadian different resistance-to-control classes. Fire Forestry Service, Northern Forest Research Control Notes. 5:84-88. 90; 1941. Centre; 1978.27 p. 4. Hanson. P.O. and Abell, C.A. Determin­ 10. Murphy. P.J.; Woodard, P.M.; and Quin­ ing the desirable size of suppression crews tiho. D. Development of fireline Dontletbad for the national forests of northern Califor­ production guidelines for initial and sus­ nia. Fire Control Notes. 5:156-160; 1941. tained attack for several fuel types. habits spread. 5. Haven. L.; Hunter, T.P.; and Storey, T.G. Unpublished report to Richard J. Barney, One little careless flick of a ciga­ Production rates for crews using hand tools Canadian Forestry Service. Northern For­ rette butt can burn down an entire est Research Centre, Edmonton, AB; on firehnes. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-62. forest. So please be careful. Because Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agri­ 1987.47 p. once this bad habit starts, it's culture. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest 11. Ramberg, R.G: Firefighters physiological awfully hard to stop. Remember, Forest and Range Experiment Station; study. Project Record ED&T 2003; Fire­ only you can prevent forest fires. 1982.8 p. fighting efficiency of man-e-the machine. 6. Hulett. H.C. Organizing natives to func­ Missoula. MT: U.S. Department of Agri­ A Puh/ic Service ofThis Magarine tion as fire-fighting units using the 10- to culture, Forest Service, Equipment &TheAdverlisingCoundi ;;:':'1 "'" v~~ IS-foot method. Fire Control Notes. Development Center; 1974. 33 p. 4'101-11 I: 1940. 12. Schmidt. C.G. and Rinehart, a.c. Line 7. Lindquist, J.L. Building firelines-how production estimating guides for fire fast do crews work? Fire Technology. behavior fuel models. Fire Management 6:126-134: 1970. Notes. 43(2):6-9: 1982. 8. Mckcynolds. K.P. Speeding up fire-line 13. Strong, W.L. and Leggar, K.R. construction by the one lick method. Fire Bcoregions of Alberta. ENR Tech. Rep, Control Notes. 1:23-26; 1936. T/4. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Energy and 9. Murphy, P.J. and Quintilio, D. Handcrcw Natural Resources; 1981. 64 p. firc-Iinc construction: A method of estima-

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 27 IJ Wildland Interagency Engine: A Pilot Program

Troy Corn

Assistantfire management officer, USDA Forest Service, Wenatchee National Forest, Entiat Ranger District, Entiat, WA

Tight suppression budgets and fire sion effort in Chelan County. The • Chelan County Fire District hazards associated with scores of Wildland Interagency Engine was No. I-A centrally located station new homes in wildland areas of actively involved in 22 wildland fires and office space; a King radio; North Central Washington State have and provided protection of wildlands reserve engine equipment; vehicle led to interagency sharing of person­ and logistical support during structure maintenance; hose and equipment nel and fire equipment. This trend of fire suppression in the interface maintenance. migration by city dwellers into urbani areas. During the 1987 fire season in • The Wenatchee National Forest-A wildland interface areas is expected northern California and southern primary engine (16,500 gross vehicle to continue. Protection of life and Oregon, the Washington State weight, 700 gallon), engine equip­ property from wildfires in these rural Department of Natural Resources and ment, and a Phoenix radio. areas has become a complex issue for Wenatchee National Forest in Chelan • The Washington State Department local firefighting agencies. County often found themselves of Natural Resources-s-A backup In 1987, because of a growing depleted of adequately trained fire­ vehicle, portable radio batteries, and need for multiagency fire suppression fignters. Also, at this same time, a foam agent and foam equipment. in urban/wildland interface areas, Chelan County was experiencing The topics covered in the training Chelan County Fire District No. I, extreme fire danger ratings brought program and the hours spent training Wenatchee National Forest, and the on by one of the worst drought peri­ in each area are as follows: Washington State Department of Nat­ ods on record. During this dry spell, Topic Hours ural Resources' Southeast Region the Wildland Interagency Engine was Physical training (on-going) 55 initiated the Wildland Interagency instrumental in providing fire protec­ Initial attack 16 Engine pilot program. tion to all cooperating agencies Mop-up, dry and wet 8 The Wildland Interagency Engine throughout Chelan County. Radio use and care 2 is unique in its design and mission in All officials involved with the Class I engine operation 4 that 7-day staffing was provided by Wildland Interagency Engine agree Portable pumps 3 three separate agencies. Officials that the pilot program was a cost Map and compass 2 from the cooperating agencies beneficial investment. Each par­ First aid 5 believed that the program would ticipating agency contributed one­ Handtool use 5 achieve three important administra­ third of the program cost. This joint Line construction 10 tive goals: Provide a fire suppression funding approach allowed the three­ Fire behavior 4 resource with a quick response time member agencies to receive the bene­ Water application and in volatile urban interface areas, fits of a complete engine crew. hoselays 10 .J provide an important cost savings to Because of reduced budgets in 1987, Interagency coordination all agencies, and provide a highly no single participating agency would on fires 6 visible example of cooperation have been able to adequately fund Type 5 engine operation among fire protection agencies in the engine. (primary vehicle) 8 support of a national emphasis on Each agency in the Wildland Inter­ Ladder truck operation 4 "interagency cooperation. agency Engine provided support and Self-contained breathing During an 8-month planning period participated in the training program. ·apparatus -i the cooperating agencies developed Support was provided in the follow­ Fire shelters 4 an operational agreement which satis­ ing manner: Total 150 fied the legal needs of each agency. • Each agency-One primary and Using this operational agreement as a one backup crewperson and equip­ Based on an end of fire season cornerstone, the program functioned ment for that crewperson; regular and review by lead officials of all partic­ smoothly and contributed signifi­ overtime cost and benefits for own ipating agencies, all crew perform­ cantly to the wildland fire suppres- employee. ance ratings were above average,

28 Fire Management Notes , contributions of the Wildland Inter­ agency Engine were significant in the areas of wildfire suppression, and mutual understanding and coopera­ tion between involved agencies was much improved. In addition, all par­ ticipating agencies thought good value was received for the funding they contributed to the program and are looking forward to improving operations during the 1988 fire season.•

A Wildland interagency Engine crew with engine.

-.u SO o nlYYOU A PublicServiceafIheAd • can prevent CounaZfM USDA, FOrest Sermce m_ e forestfires. and )'(JUT SuueFOrester.

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 29 Standards for Survival "Watch Out!" Situations ning with the letters contained in II FIRE ORDERS. This technique is J More than 140 firefighters were I. Fire not scouted and sized up. highly effective in promoting reten­ entrapped during the 1987 fire sea­ 2. In country not seen in tion of the information. son. Unfortunately, one firefighter daylight. Sense of the Standard Fire Orders lost his life. During the past 3 3. Safety zones and escape routes has not been changed, but the order years, several hundred firefighters not identified. has been changed to conform to the have been forced to deploy their 4. Unfamiliar with weather and acrostic structure. For example, the shelters in a "last resort" situation. local factors influencing fire familiar Fire Order No. 10, "Fight Investigation reports revealed behavior. fire aggressively, but provide for obvious and continuing violations of 5. Uninformed on strategy, tac­ safety first,"· now becomes the first ·"Watch Oat!" situations and Stand­ tics, and hazards. fire order in the format, This order ard Fire Orders, prompting the need 6. Instructions and assignments is properly the first since it provides to review and improve training. not clear. the overall basic safety rule. The A new interactive firefighter 7. No communication link with order not only applies to potential safety course titled "Standards for crew members/supervisors. entrapment situations, but to safe Survival" has been developed. The 8. Constructing lines without safe driving, use of tools and equipment, principal focus of the course is on anchor point. . aviation, and other activities as the proper recognition of the 9. Building fireline downhill with well, '''Watch Out!" situations followed fire below. by the initiation of the appropriate 10. Attempting frontal assault on Standard Fire Orders fire. actions as defined in the Standard F -Fight fire aggressively but II. Unburned fuel between you Fire Orders. provide for safety first. and the fire. In addition, some adjustments I -Initiate aJl action based on 12. Cannot see main fire-not in were made in the "Watch Out!" current and expected fire contact with anyone who can. situations and Standard Fire Orders. behavior. 13. On a hillside where rolling Five items have been added to the R -Recognize current weather material can ignite fuel below. '''Watch Out!" situations to reflect conditions and obtain forecasts. i 14. Weather is gelling hotter and ;. critical hazardous conditions that E -Ensure instructions are given drier. are not readily recognized. These and understood. include: IS. Wind increases and/or changes direction. 'J • Fire not scouted and sized up (I), -Obtain current information on I 16. Getting frequent spot fires o • Safety zones and escape routes fire status. across line. not identified (3). R -Remain in communication 17. Terrain and fuels make I :. Uninformed on strategy and tac­ with crew members, your super­ eseapeto safety zones difficult. tics (5). visor, and adjoining forces. 18. Taking a nap near the • Constructing lines without a safe D -Detennine safety zones and fireline. 'anchor (8). The Standard Fire Orders were escape routes. • Attempting a frontal assault on E -Establish lookouts in poten­ recast in a new format using the the fire (10). Also, the list has been acrostic technique to trigger recall. tially hazardous situations. arranged in the sequence in which R -Retain control at all times. The acrostic is an arrangement of the hazardous situations are most sentences, each keyed to and begin- S -Stay alert, keep calm, think Iikely to occur. clearly, act decisively.

30 Fire Management Notes i The"Standards for Survival" asked to identify hazardous situa­ Jerry Monesmith, safety and train­ t training course is a I-hour video tions noted in the scenarios. key ing group leader, USDA Forest tape supplemented with student them to the 18 "Watch Out!" situa­ Service, Fire and Aviation Manage­ workbook and exercises, Eight tions, and then state the appropriate ment, Washington, DC "scenarios"-reenactments of dan­ Fire Orders that must be observed, gerous fireline situations that led to Course materials are available fatalities-are used to pinpoint crit­ through the Boise Interagency Wild­ ical fireline events. Students are fire Center. _

International Wildfire ference titled "Meeting Global • Increase international cooperation Conference--1989 Wildland Fire Challenges," This and strengthen communications conference will focus on worldwide between individuals and organiza­ wildfire problems and steps that can tions responsible for wildfire During the past decade, wildfires be taken by the international com­ management. have caused major losses of life, munity to reverse the upward trend Conference participants-i-coun­ property, and natural resources in of wildfire losses, The confer- tries, states and provinces of Africa, North and South America, ence will be held in Boston, MA, countries, and organizations con­ Asia, the Mediterranean, Australia, July 23 to 26, 1989, cerned with firefighting-will and parts of Europe, Expanding Through this conference, we will provide educational displays populations in high-fire risk areas stimulate the development of inter­ describing fire situations and pro­ and the accelerating demand for national cooperation and enhance grams in their areas and on issues natural resources to supply basic disaster assistance for mutual bene­ of importance, These displays. human needs add to the critical fit. Additionally, we will bring covering a wide spectrum of fire nature of this fire problem, together leaders of public and pri­ management programs, are a key Recognizing that this global prob­ vate organizations from around the part of the conference, enhancing lem is at a point where international world to discuss issues, programs its educational value in a significant attention is needed, the Canadian and strategies to reduce serious way, The educational display coor­ Forestry Service; the National Fire wildfire losses and to promote inter­ dinator for the conference is: Protection Association; the National national cooperation. Roger Erb, U,S, Department of the Association of State Foresters, U,S, The goals of the international loterior, Bureau of Land Manage­ Department of the Interior, Bureau conference are: ment, Fire and Aviation of Land Management; The Secre- • Identify and assess worldwide Management, 18th and C Streets .tary of Agriculture and Hydrolic wildfire management problems, NW, Washington. DC 20240. (202) Resources; Normatividad Forestal including social and economic 653-8800, _ (Mexican Forest Service); and the impact. U,S, Department of Agriculture. • Heighten public and government Forest Service are organizing and awareness of the serious global sponsoring an international con- wildfire problem,

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 31 'I

Fourth International Firefighting Course

Paul J. Weeden

Defense and emergency operations specialist, USDA Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management, Washington, DC SARH

The Fourth International Wildfire pression courses and will continue to Chief, Dale F. Robertson, Paul Suppression Course was hosted by coordinate future courses for struc­ Weeden presented Jesus Cardena, the Mexican Government in Mexico ture and materials. The fourth course Chief of the Mexican Forest Serv­ City from January 25 to February 12. was held in Mexico City to make it ice, a signed and numbered limited­ It was jointly sponsored by the more readily available to participants edition print titled, .•Forest Fires Office of Foreign Disaster Assist­ from Central America and Mexico. Campaign-1987," to recognize the ance, the Normatividad Forestal Students and instructors came from significant contribution of the Nor­ (Mexican Forest Service), and the Mexico, Central America, South matividad Forestal to the success of USDA Forest Service. America, North America, and the course. The course was a resounding suc­ Europe. Their number and distribu­ Another course highlight was the cess and continues to be a positive tion among countries represented signing of the "Adhesion de la Gran experience for all those who partici­ were as follows: Hennandad de Prorneteo' or the pated. The course has also broadened Students Instructors "Binding of the Association of horizons and enhanced relations I Argentina I Chile Prometheus." This tradition started within and between countries in 3 Ecuador I Costa Rica in the first course with the signing of regard to wildfire suppression and 3 Honduras 4 Spain the "Declaration of Promise" and conservation of natural resources. It 3 Nicaragua 5 United States has been carried over into subsequent has provided an avenue to explore 8 Guatemala 12 Mexico courses. The power of the Associa­ new technologies or firm up those 9 Costa Rica tion is difficult to explain, but it has that already existed. Instructors and 24 Mexico given rise to international agreements students left Mexico City exhausted, and cooperation through technology but with a sense of accomplishment. Instructors from the United States and literature exchanges. The Asso­ During 2 weeks of intensive class­ were: Gary Benavidez (Magdelena ciation has had a very positive room study and I week of field District, Cibola National Forest, impact on the wildfire suppression exercises, 50 participants were taught R-3); Pat Velasco (Payson District, course and relations between par­ the following courses: Fire Behavior, Tonto National Forest. R-3); Roberto ticipating countries. despite the fact Fire Prevention and Detection, Rodriguez (Illinois Valley District, that participants come from countries Instructor Training, Fuels Manage­ Siskiyou National Forest, R-6); Jay with diverse ideologies on fire i, ment, Safety and Certification, Perkins (Ukonorn District, Klamath management. -i Emergency Management System, National Forest, R-S); and Paul A translation of the "Adhesion de Fire Analysis and Evaluation, and Weeden (Fire and Aviation Manage­ la Gran Hennandad de Prometeo" Protection Plans. ment, Washington, DC). follows: '.' Besides providing training in these A significant accomplishment of subject areas, a second objective the course was to include women for The Bindiug to the Associatiou of of the course was to prepare each the first time: one as a steering com­ Prometheus participant to be an instructor. mittee member and instructor and Participants could then return three students--one from Guatemala Having created and developed in pre­ to their respective countries and in­ and two from Costa Rica. vious International Wildfire Sup­ struct others in wildfire suppression During an awards ceremony at the pression Courses the Association of techniques. end of the course, Bonnee Turner, Prometheus, whose end is to unite The National Advanced Resource training specialist with NARTC, pre­ those that have participated in these Technology Center (NARTC) had sented Jay Perkins with a plaque courses. taken the lead role for the Forest recognizing his substantial effort in We Service in the development of the coordinating the fourth course. On the participants in the Fourth Interna­ previous three international fire sup- behalf of USDA Forest Service tional Wildfire Suppression Course,

32 Fire Management Notes I organized by the Secretary of Agri­ t culture and Water Resources, the I United States Forest Service, the J Agency for International Develop­ ment and the National Advanced Resource Technology Center, held in Mexico City, from January 25 to February 12, 1988, in the Natural Resource Conservation 'and Training Center for Ecoguardas of the Coordi­ nating Commission for Rural Development of Mexico City, Declare our plain intention to unite as mem­ bers with all of those before us that have subscribed to the union and fra­ ternity of this pact. For this, it will be Our Pledge to pay tribute to the forest resources

Closing ceremony ofFourth International Forest Fire Course. Sealed 01 the table. from left 10 in particular and the natural resources right: Patricia Santos. training officer, U.S. Agency for International Development, representing in general, the best of our strength, the U.S. Ambassador; Jay Perkins, steering committee chairman and course coordinator, USDA dedication, and work in favor of their Forest Service; Juan Rodriquez Jacquez, Director of Coordinating Commission for Rural Develop­ conservation and protection, for the ment ofMexico City: Paul Weeden, steering committee member and instructor, Fire and Aviation benefit of our communities as 'well as Management, USDA Forest Service: Manuel Villa IsSG. Subsecretarv of Forestry and Agriculture; Jesus Cardena Rodriquez. Director, Normativtdad Forestal (Mexican Forest Service); Bonnee for the benefit of future generations. Turner, course coordinator and steering committee member, NARTC: and Jamie Lopez. A transla­ Also, we will encourage technical \ lion oflhe caption on rhe table and the wall above the tahle is «s joftcws: "Fou.rrh {nternational communication and an exchange of Forest Fire Course .' , experiences with the purpose of I mutually helping each other, as indi­ viduals as well as countries. In Binding With the members of this international association, we place OUf names and countries with the intent to incorpo­ ONLY rate ourselves to The Association of Prometheus YOU to improve the knowledge and tech- mAPulllic~o/17IgNtfDIItlP"(f7M~iJill( niques in wildfire suppression to C...... I protect life, property and natural resources .•

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 33 r I

Fire Management in Israel

Kimberly Brandel, Mike Rogers, and Gordon Reinhart

Respectively, USDA Forest Service. fire planning assistant. Washington. DC; fire management officer. Umatilla National Forest, Pendleton, OR; and forest supervisor, Cleveland National Forest, San Diego, CA

Israeli firefighters will remember the Jordan River that was occupied productive. The JNF started planting I 1987 as the year that fires raged by the Hebrews in the second millen­ trees in the early 1900's. Most of the J throughout Israel, damaging many nium B.C.E. The Hebrews were trees, however, were planted after forests. Israel experienced twice as driven out of the area repeatedly by a the State of Israel was established in I many wildfires in 1987 as in 1986. succession of invaders and con­ 1948. Today, due to a highly suc­ In the B'nai B'rith Martyr's Forest, querors and eventually dispersed cessful and continuing afforestation 1 50 acres (20 hal of the Children's throughout the world. effort, forested areas cover about 5 I Forest were destroyed. An additional In the late 1800's, the Zionist percent of the land base. Natural 875 acres (354 hal of natural wood­ movement, whose aim was the Mediterranean woodlands make up land were destroyed in the area of reestablishment of a Jewish homeland 100,000 (36,900 hal of the 270,000 the Martyrs Forest. On July 29, and state, gained momentum in (109,268 hal forested acres. JNF­ four fires burned a total of 1,150 Europe. The Jewish National Fund sponsored tree nurseries prepare 5 acres (465 hal in the forests sur­ (JNF), the operative arm of the Zion­ million saplings for planting in new rounding Jerusalem. As a result of ist movement, was established in forests each year. the fires, electricity was cut off from 1901 with the express aim of pur­ Forestry is an emotional issue in west Jerusalem neighborhoods for chasing land in Palestine for the ·Israel; nearly all of the forests were several hours. Damage estimates eventual reestablishment of the planted for either social or security exceeded $2 million. Jewish homeland. purposes. The Jews who came to In the fall of 1987. the Jewish The land that the JNF purchased in Palestine after World War II and National Fund (JNF), the agency Palestine had changed considerably fought to establish the State of Israel responsible for afforestation and land from the land described in the Bible. wanted forests similar to the forests reclamation in Israel, requested that a Historically, much of Palestine was of Europe that they had left behind. team of fire management specialists covered with oak scrub and pine for­ They realized that a forest is a legacy from the U.S. Department of Agri­ ests. The many conquests and for future generations. Many of the culture (USDA) Forest Service visit occupations of Palestine throughout forests, including the Children's Israel to assess their fire management history resulted in the loss of these Forest, were planted in memory needs. The team, consisting of team forests and subsequent overgrazing. of the Holocaust victims to ensure leader Mike Rogers, Gordon The practice of overgrazing con­ that the horrors the Jewish people Reinhart, and Kimberly Brandel, tinued well into the 20th century. had endured would always be spent 10 days in early December The JNF realized that they would remembered. 1987 traveling throughout Israel have to undertake extensive reclama­ The people of Israel also realized meeting with resource professionals tion and environmental improvement that forests are an asset to national " and being briefed on the fire manage­ projects if the land was to become security. Forests planted along the ment situation. borders of Jordan, Syria, and In this article, we will attempt to Lebanon hinder military tank move­ explain the current fire management ment into Israel. situation in Israel. An understanding The Israelis refuse to assign a dol­ of this topic requires some back­ lar value to their forests. Emotion­ ground information on the develop­ ally, they feel that their forests are ment of forests in Israel and on invaluable and must be protected at attitudes towards those forests. all costs. Rationally, however, they realize that they do not have an Establishment of Forests in Israel unlimited budget to do so. Thus, when confronted with an escalating Palestine is the land located fire problem, JNF sought assistance between the Mediterranean Sea and from the USDA Forest Service to

34 Fire Management Notes design a cost-effective fire manage­ ment program.

I ! Israel's Forests Today Israel's forests are composed pri­ marily of stands of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), the only conifer species indigenous to Israel. Dur­ ing the initial afforestation effort, this species was planted almost exclusively because it is one of the few conifers that is adapted to the harsh environmental conditions of Israel. Today, many of these stands are densely overstocked and in poor health. The initial afforestation effort included plans for thinning. Typical conditions in stand of Pinus halepensis. However, thinning frequently was delayed due to the emphasis on tree experience large catastrophic fires. most common known cause of fires planting. The combination of a hot, dry Medi­ is arson, followed by negligence, Insects contribute to the poor terranean climate, strong winds, campers, and army maneuvers. health of many stands. Aleppo pine steep inaccessible terrain, highly vol­ Four main factors are responsible is extremely susceptible to infestation atile fuels, and high potential for for the recent increase in fires. First, by the Israel pine Matsucoccus (Mat­ ignitions results in a scenario that forests and associated roads and rec­ sucoccus joshephi). In recent years, virtually eliminates the possibility of reation areas are being expanded. As an effort has been made to diversify total prevention of forest fires. a result, the forests are being visited species composition and extensively Approximately 550 forest fires more frequently, increasing the prob­ plant conifers that are resistant to occur each year in Israel~95 percent ability of fires. infestation. between May and August. The Second, a land use conflict has The life expectancy of Aleppo pine majority occur in June and July. An arisen based upon the traditional use y is 60 to 80 years. Stands that were additional 300 fires occur each year of the land for grazing. Shepherds set planted in the early 1900's are reach­ in nonforested lands. Approximately fire to the land both to improve graz­ ing maturity and "breaking down," 2,400 acres (971 hal bum each year ing and to reclaim traditional grazing creating available fuel for fires. in forested land; another 7,200 acres areas. Moisture stress, insects, and disease (2,914 hal burn each year in non­ Third, many forest stands border also are contributing to the stands' forested land. Suppression efforts fertile valleys where grain crops are susceptibility to fire damage. confine most fires to less than 1.2 grown. When the farmers bum their acres (0.5 hal. Only 1.5 percent of fields, fire often escapes into the sur­ The Fire Problem the fires grow larger than 25 acres rounding forests. (10 hal. Multiday fires are the excep­ Fourth, fires due to politically fire is a relatively new problem to tion rather than the nann. motivated arson are increasing. In the the forests of Israel. Even though the Seventy-two percent of forest fires Middle East, planting trees implies Israelis would like to eliminate all are of unknown origin. However, all ownership of the land. By setting fire fires, their forests will continue to forest fires are human caused. The to the forests, Israel's political adver-

198B Volume 49, Number 3 35 sarles are attempting to destroy this May through October and is Initial attack response time aver­ symbol of ownership. equipped with a radio system to ages 20 minutes. Experience has J maintain communications with forest shown that if response times are Fire Management workers. One of the lookout towers maintained at less than 30 minutes, I, serves as a base station for communi­ control usually is not a problem. Natural resources are managed by cations with all of the other lookouts; The Forest Department has very several agencies in Israel. The Forest adjacent lookout towers share the few fire engines and must rely upon Department of the Land Development same radio frequency. Eighty percent the rural fire brigades for water sup­ Authority of the JNF is responsible of fires are discovered by lookouts. port. The primary responsibility of for all forest operations and forest Employees work in groups of 10 the brigades is to fight structural fires protection. The Nature Reserve that are spread out in the forests in urban and rural communities. Authority is responsible for managing according to a pre-estahlished work Thus, the brigades are not always the nature reserves; the National plan. A truck, equipped with a com­ available when the Forest Department Gardens Authority administers the munications radio, is assigned to requests them. The engines that are National Parks. each group. Each truck carries fire used by the brigades also are not The Forest Department has hose, scraping tools, swatters, and well suited for traveling forest roads. acquired responsibility for fire pro­ backpack pumps. Each group The Forest Department reimburses tection of all lands (forested and responds to the direction of a specific the brigades for all expenses. nonforested) by default rather than by lookout tower. When a fire is A system establishing command intent. The fire management respon­ detected, the area lookout contacts authority for fires has not been sibilities of each land management the work group and provides them developed. As a result, confusion authority are not outlined in formal with directions to the fire. frequently arises concerning who is agreements. The Forest Department is divided into four geographical regions; north­ ern, median, central, and southern. Each region is divided into three dis­ tricts. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of the Forest Department's yearly budget is allocated for fire prevention and suppression. During the fire season, the Forest -, Department employs approximately 1,600 people that are available for firefighting. Although most of the fires start in the late afternoon, the employees finish their workday at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. A third of the employees remain on call during the night and are contacted by phone when needed for fire duty. Between I and 2 percent of the fires start at night.

Thirty-three lookout towers are ~ :~'-'"- ~ distributed throughout the forests. .... , Each lookout is staffed from early Fire engine of the Forest Department of the Land Development Authorit..., of the iNF.

36 Fire Management Notes i in charge of the fire. Forest Depart­ logging is being used to reduce fuel it ment employees typically tum accumulations that result from thin­ responsibility for the fire over to the ning operations. Grazing has been .I brigade personnel even though the introduced into planted forests and is \ brigades may not be best qualified to once again being used in natural I fight wildland fires. areas. An extensive system of fuel breaks Prescribed fire is a controversial divides the forests into areas that subject among forestry professionals are less than 50 acres (20 hal in size. in Israel. Some professionals feel The fuel breaks are constructed that, based upon biblical references, against the prevailing wind patterns fire has a role in Israel's ecosystems. and are maintained by mechanical They believe that since people have means and by aerial application of lived in Israel for thousands of years, chemical sprays. Simazine and human-caused fires are an integral atrazine are the chemicals most com­ part of the ecosystem. Others main­ monly used. Strategies for controlling tain that, in the absence of lightning, the fire rely more on the use of fuel no proof exists that fire plays a natu­ breaks and roads than upon fireline ral role in the development of Israel's construction. forests. The major tree species, Israel's forests are densely roaded. Aleppo pine, has thin bark and is Before a forest is planted, access very susceptible to fire damage. The roads are constructed. Currently, Forest Department has been reluctant road density averages 100 feet for to use prescribed fire, but they are each acre of forest. As a result, slowly gaining interest. access is not a major problem for firefighters. The Future of Fire Management The Forest Department uses fixed­ in Israel wing agricultural aircraft for fire­ You should have During our trip to Israel, we iden­ fighting. However, air support tified several opportunities for seen the one generally is not requested until all improving the fire program. The For­ other firefighting options have been that got away! est Department is anxious to exhausted. Cropduster planes are implement changes in their program used for dropping both water and before the 1988 fire season. A dele­ retardant. Helicopters were tried gation from the Forest Department unsuccessfully for firefighting a few will visit the United States during the years ago. spring of 1988 to review selected In the past, fuels treatment was not aspects of fire management programs considered economical. The Forest A public service of this magazine I:tI' in Regions 5 and 8 of the USDA & The Advertising Council. ~ Department was not convinced of the Forest Service and to develop an value of investing in fuels treatment action plan for implementing strat­ to decrease resource damage due to egies. We anticipate a close working wildfire. Thinning slash frequently relationship with the Forest Depart­ was left untreated. Attitudes toward ment in the years to come. _ the value of fuels treatment, how­ ever, are changing. Whole-tree

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 37 Let's Stop Fighting Forest Fires

William B. Martini

Director, North East Area Training Center, Tomahawk, WI

The training of thousands of peo­ some resource agencies and merger These courses were to be designed I ple nationwide in the skills and of others. It was being suggested that for use by all 50 States and all Fed­ J knowledge needed to put out forest some Federal resource and fire man­ eral fire agencies. This was an fires is a huge, important, and expen­ agement agencies could be merged enormous undertaking, but it was I sive endeavor. into one large nationwide resource agreed that it was of highest priority. management agency-s-a Federal The next priority for training was j Locally Organized Training Department of Natural Resources. intended to be the prevention of I The question, "Why couldn't the wildland fires. For many years, State and Federal U.S. Department of Agriculture's In the following IO-year period, fire agencies all trained their "own" Forest Service, or the U.S. Depart­ many excellent courses were people in their own methods. There ment of the Interior's Bureau of Land developed and distributed. Most were was little cooperation. and no uni­ Management, Fish and Wildlife Serv­ targeted on fire suppression. They fonnity. Training standards, ice, National Park Service, and are called the "S" (suppression) methods, and qualifications varied Bureau of Indian Affairs, who all do courses and were coupled with a widely. Agencies developed training similar fire and resource management Federal qualification system (Red courses at high costs that closely work, be combined?" was being Cards). duplicated courses already developed. discussed. As an outgrowth of this effort Training was presented in a class­ Proposals along these lines were of came the adoption of the National room half full of students, while a great concern to the fire managers in Interagency Incident Management few miles away, the same course was these agencies. Many advocated System of NIIMS. The "old" fire being given in another half-full class­ "getting our act together" or some­ courses of the Large Fire Organiza­ room. Little effort went into sharing, body would do it for us. In addition, tion were altered to fit NIIMS consolidating, or preventing duplica­ sharing of training ideas, talent, terminology and methods of manag­ tion of effort. courses, facilities, and standards ing fires and other incidents. Many Wildland fire agencies were made economic sense. Duplication new courses were developed and fiercely independent. They were con­ of effort and waste bothered all distributed. cerned only with success in their own trainers, regardless of a threat of jurisdiction. While this was happen­ reorganization. Development of Fire Prevention ing nationwide, serious forest fires In 1973, all of the Federal and Programs were increasing. People were State fire organizations decided to do building homes in what was once something about this problem. They At this time, many fire agencies considered strictly forest land or met and fonmed the National Wildfire are switching from major emphasis 'i wildland. Coordinating Group (NWCG). on suppressing wild fires to prevent­ I Environmental attitudes were also One of the first needs identified by ing them. Although this change in changing. Fires that once were con­ the NWCG was to establish unifonm attitudes and policy adds an impor­ I sidered "only grass or brush fires" fire training. A National Fire Train­ tant dimension to wildland fire were becoming a deep concern to ing Working team was formed. This programs, the shift in effort creates many citizens who previously said, team was chartered to work on coor­ some problems. Quality courses to "Who cares, it was only a brush dination, sharing, and development train a person to conduct an effective fire. " of standard fire training and quali­ wildland fire prevention program do fications nationwide. not exist. Merger of Resources The first project of the training Motivating people to do prevention team was to develop a standard, uni­ work is more difficult than training politically, there was a cost-cutting form set of training courses aimed at them to do the more dramatic and epidemic that proposed elimination of the suppression of wildland fires. glamorous work of fire suppression.

38 Fire Management Notes The results and rewards of a good Department of Forestry and Fire Pro­ • Is it cheaper and more efficient to job in prevention are also more diffi­ tection Fire Academy, National Fire prevent a forest fire or to put one cult to evaluate and measure. When a Academy, and others devoting effort out? major fire is stopped, the victors are to fire training. • Is it true or possible that almost all applauded. They then gear up for the • Compile and maintain a list of fire wildland fires are preventable? next fire and this drama goes on and training officers of the Northeastern • Are wildland fire agencies spend­ on. Suppression skills are easier to States. ing as much on prevention training as teach and proficiency in these skills • Collect fire training materials, list they are on fire suppression? can quickly become evident. The fire these in a catalog, and distribute • Is it feasible to have volunteer cit­ was effectively and rapidly contained information to the Northeastern izen arson patrols protecting our or it grew into a disastrous tragedy. States. wildland resources? Efforts expended in prevention are • Locate and distribute lists of • Is it possible to catch and convict slow to apply and difficult to assess courses being offered, subject matter most arsonists? and justify. The skills and knowledge experts, and qualified fire instructors. I think that training as many peo­ needed are likewise harder to teach Many fire prevention courses are ple as possible in the skills needed to and apply. being considered and developed. The prevent fires is the only way to find To start work on a fire prevention organization is 2 years old and has the answers to these questions. How training program, 20 States funded a had enthusiastic support from the long can we continue to neglect fire program to assist in the development agencies it serves. This is one prevention training when our of training targeted on how to plan example of how the wildland fire resources are being burned at an and implement a sophisticated, effec­ community is trying to change an old alarming rate? Almost all fires are tive prevention campaign. The attitude of suppressing fires to pre­ started by humans. The majority of organization they formed is called the venting them. People interested in fires are caused by irresponsible acts North East Area Training Center the threat of wildfires to our Nation's or, worse, set intentionally. (NEAT). It is based at Tomahawk, resources should consider some With budget cuts promised, fire WI. It is hosted by and uses the intriguing questions: agencies must become more efficient facilities of the Wisconsin Depart­ • Why is the arson rate in our forests by training people to. practice fire ment of Natural Resources. and wildlands on a nationwide prevention or learn to live with a The NEAT organization is striving increase? (Is skyrocketing wildland burned resource. to accomplish some badly needed fire arson connected to the terrorist Let's stop fighting forest fires and training goals: ,. mania?) start training to prevent them. - • • Provide input and assistance to fire course development to meet North­ eastern States (20 States of the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry) training needs. • Maintain cooperation and com­ munication with other fire training organizations such as Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry; National Training Team of NWCG; Boise interagency Fire Center; North­ eastern, Great Lakes, Middle Atlantic, Southeastern, and South Central Fire Compacts; California

1988 Volume 49, Number 3 39 1 -~- ~~------I

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