Brief glossary of fire terminology used in Firefighting Tactics video

Firefighters are using aggressive full suppression strategies to contain the #MonumentFire. Hear from our Fire Behavior Analyst and Operations Section Chief to learn more about some of the tools and tactics that are being used to suppress the Monument Fire.

Head Fire: A fire spreading or set to spread with the wind. Or Advancing Fire; That portion of the fire with rapid fire spread with higher intensity which is normally burning with the wind and/or up slope. Also called: forward fire, or a run. Head of fire; The most rapidly spreading portions of a fire’s perimeter, usually progressing with the wind, up slope, or a combination of the two.

Flank Fire: A firing technique consisting of treating an area with lines of fire set into the wind which burn outward at right angles to the wind. Or Lateral Fire; Rate or spread and intensity of a fire usually falling somewhere in between advancing and backing with spread lateral to the main direction of fire travel.

Flanks of a Fire:

1. The parts of a fire's perimeter that are roughly parallel to the main direction of spread.

2. The parts of a fire’s perimeter that are roughly parallel to the main direction of fire spread.

Backing Fire:

1. Fire spreading, or ignited to spread, into (against) the wind or downslope. A fire spreading on level ground in the absence of wind is a backing fire.
2. That portion of the fire with slower rates of fire spread and lower intensity normally moving into the wind and/or down slope. Also called: heel fire. 

Backfiring: A tactic associated with indirect attack, intentionally setting fire to fuels inside the control line to slow, knock down, or contain a rapidly spreading fire. Backfiring provides a wide defense perimeter and may be further employed to change the force of the convection column. Backfiring makes possible a strategy of locating control lines at places where the fire can be fought on the firefighter's terms. Except for rare circumstance meeting specified criteria, backfiring is executed on a command decision made through line channels of authority.

Control Line: An inclusive term for all constructed or natural barriers and treated fire edges used to control a fire.

Contingency Plan: The portion of a prescribed fire plan, incident action plan, or implementation plan that identifies possible but unlikely events and the contingency resources needed to mitigate those events.

Confine: A wildfire response strategy of restricting a wildfire to a defined area, primarily using natural barriers that are expected to restrict the spread of the wildfire under the prevailing and forecasted weather conditions.

• Definition Extension:  Some response action may be required to augment or connect natural barriers (e.g. line construction, burn-out, bucket drops, etc.).

Containment:

1. The status of a wildfire suppression action signifying that a control line has been completed around the fire, and any associated spot fires, which can reasonably be expected to stop the fire's spread.

2. The act of controlling hazardous spilled or leaking materials

Firebreak: A natural or constructed barrier used to stop or check fires that may occur, or to provide a control line from which to work.

Fireline: The part of a containment or control line that is scraped or dug to mineral soil. defined as the area within or adjacent to the perimeter of an uncontrolled wildfire of any size in which action is being taken to control fire. Such action includes operations, which directly support control of fire (e.g. activities to extinguish the fire, ground scouting, spot fire patrolling, search and rescue operations, and backfiring).

Fireline Intensity:

1. The product of the available heat of combustion per unit of ground and the rate of spread of the fire, interpreted as the heat released per unit of time for each unit length of fire edge. The primary unit is Btu per second per foot (Btu/sec/ft) of fire front.

2. The rate of heat release per unit time per unit length of fire front. Numerically, it is the product of the heat yield, the quantity of fuel consumed in the fire front, and the rate of spread. 

Firing Out: The act of setting fire to unburned fuels located between the control line and main fire in burning out operations.

Firing Technique: Any method or pattern of igniting a wildland area to consume the fuel in a prescribed pattern. E.g., heading or backing fire, spot fire, strip-head fire, and ring fire. Ignition Pattern; Manner in which a prescribed fire is ignited. The distance between ignition lines or points and the sequence of igniting them is determined by weather, fuel, topography, firing technique, and other factors which influence fire behavior and fire effects.