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Objectives 1. Define forest fire management and the terms

associated with it.

2. Identify the different classes of forest fires.

3. Identify the methods of attack and common forest fire fighting tools.

4. Define the basic components of a prescribed burning plan.

5. Determine the elements of a forest fire prevention plan.

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Forest Fires• Can be classified into one of the following:

– prescribed fire: a controlled fire planned and started by an experienced crew in order to maintain a wooded area

– wildfire: an uncontrolled fire which consumes a wooded area

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Forest Fire Management• Is the practice of preventing and

controlling the outbreak of forest fires• Includes the following factors:

– types of fire– fire behavior– fuels– control of fire– weather conditions

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Types of Forest Fires• Include the following classes:

– surface fires: burn the upper litter layer and any small branches lying on or near the surface of the ground; it does not consume the organic layer

– ground fires: slowly smolder or creep through the litter layer and consume the organic cover, exposing soil or rock

– crown fires: occur when surface or ground fires ignite the dead or living lower branches of standing trees, allowing for the tree crown to become enflamed and ignite other tree crowns

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Flaming Hot Fact: A large fire can generate hurricane-force winds, up to 120 miles per hour.

Forest Fire Behavior• Is determined by the following:

– where it burns– how fast it travels– amount of heat released– amount of fuel consumed

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Forest Fire Fuels• Include the following:

– surface fuels: burn during surface fires• fallen logs• woody plants• non-decomposed litter• grass

– ground fuels: burn during ground fires (below the surface)

• roots• partially decomposed organic matter

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Forest Fire Fuels• Include the following:

– aerial fuels: burn during crown fires• tops of trees• flammable materials found in the sub-

canopy

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Forest Fire Control• Is first accomplished by detecting the fire• Requires suppression through the removal of

either fuel, oxygen or heat• Is accomplished through the following three steps:

– initial attack: create a fire line– containment: stop the fire from spreading– mop-up: extinguish all fires within the fire line

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Forest Fire Weather Conditions

• Include the following:– wind: dries out fuels and accelerates

the fire – relative humidity: affects fuel moisture– precipitation: prevents fuels from

drying out

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Fire Triangle

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Fuel

Oxygen

Heat

• All three components must be present in order for a fire to take place

Methods of Attack• Include the following:

– direct approach• is used in low intensity fires• involves workers being on the fire’s edge, trying

to stop the fire at the point of flame contact– indirect approach

• is used when the direct approach is unsafe• allows workers to be away from the fire’s edge,

removing fuel from the path of the fire so that fuel will eventually run out and the fire will cease

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Firefighting Tools• Include the following:

– rakes: remove materials when creating fire lines– swatters: extinguish small fires by depriving the

fire of oxygen through swatting– cutting tools: chop down trees or remove

branches– backpack sprayer: allows workers to carry water

on back for mop-up duties– drip torch: a firing device which contains a mixture

of 2/3 diesel to 1/3 gasoline– fire plows: clear vegetation and fuels in order to

create a fire line

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Prescribed Burns

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Prescribed Burns • Are also known as controlled burns• Consist of setting a fire intentionally,

with controlled boundaries under certain conditions, in order to burn the existing fuels so the fire will be contained

• Are the most common form of fuel management

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Prescribed Burns • Benefits include the following:

– reduces hazardous fuels– prepares sites for seeding and planting– improves wildlife and livestock habitats– controls pests and diseases– enhances appearance– maintains fire-dependent species

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Reducing Hazardous Fuels

• Lowers the risk of intense fires– the higher the volume of fuel the

greater the fire intensity

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Prepares Sites for Seeding & Planting

• Through the following ways:– promotes seed germination and flowering– promotes new growth of fire adapted

species– reduces competitive vegetation

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Improves Wildlife & Livestock Habitats

• Through the following ways:– improves forage quality– provides new growth of nutritious

sprouts– promotes flower, seed and fruit

production, therefore increasing fruits and nuts available for wildlife

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Controls Pests & Disease

• By killing most pests and diseases through burning

• At a lower cost than traditional chemical methods

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Enhances Appearance • Through the following:

– maintains open stands– increases the number of

flowering plants– promotes open spaces

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Maintains Fire-Dependent Species

• Many plants have adapted to a fire dominated environment

• Some tree species are serotinous

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Serotinous – a cone which requires heat from a fire to open up and release the seed

Planning a Prescribed Burn • Requires a written plan including the following:

– signatures of the writers of the plan and the burn boss

– purpose and objectives– map of the area to be burned– equipment and personnel– stand description– weather factors– fire behavior – evaluation

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Performing a Prescribed Burn • Includes a crew consisting of a burn

boss and three to six crew members for a burn of several hundred acres– burn boss is responsible for the

crew– crew must have proper clothing and

safety equipment– crew must be in good physical

shape

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Performing a Prescribed Burn

• Consists of the following processes:– ensuring equipment is working and safe to use– carrying burning plans and maps – staying updated on the weather– instructing crew members of procedures– testing burn with a small fire before firing– having means of instant communication with all crew

members– being alert to changing conditions

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Prescribed Burning Techniques

• Include the following firing methods:– backing fire– strip-heading fire– flanking fire– point source fire– center and circular fire

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Backing Fire • Is started along a baseline or anchor

point and allowed back into the wind• Proceeds at a speed of 100 to 300

feet per hour• Is the easiest and safest method of

prescribed burning

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Strip-Heading Fire • Is performed by setting a series of lines

progressively upwind of a firebreak• Places fire lines so no individual line of fire

can develop to a high energy level before it reaches either a firebreak or another line of fire

• Uses a backing fire to secure the baseline and the remainder of the area

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Flanking Fire • Treats an area with fire lines set

directly into the wind• Spreads fire lines at right angles to the

wind• Requires considerable knowledge of

fire behavior

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Point Source Fire • Ignites a grid of spot fires • Produces a fire with an intensity much greater

than that of a line backing fire but less than a line heading fire

• Process includes:– first, a line backing fire is ignited across the

downwind side of the block and allowed to back 10 to 20 feet into the block

– second, a line of spots is ignited at a specified distance upwind of the backing fire

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Center & Circular Firing • Is used on cutover areas where a hot fire is needed

to lower or remove logging debris before seeding and planting

• Works best when the winds are light and variable• Process includes:

– First, the downwind control line is ignited– Second, the entire perimeter of the area is ignited

and the flame fronts converge

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Smoke Management • Is necessary in order to reduce the

following:–air pollution–accidents

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Smoke Management • Is maintained by the following:

– using weather and smoke management forecasts– refraining from burning in stagnant conditions– following air pollution control standards– using test fires to confirm smoke behavior– using backing fires when possible– burning during mid-day if possible– having an emergency plan

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Burn Evaluation • Determines how well the stated

objective of the burn was met• Provides information to be used in

future burns• Should be performed immediately

after the burn and again after the first post fire growing season

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Summary• Fire type, behavior, fuel, control and weather

conditions all effect forest fire management• Surface fires burn near the ground surface and do

not consume organic matter• Ground fires burn through the litter layer and

consume organic matter• Crown fires consume the top layers of trees (the

tree crown) and therefore ignite other tree crowns• Prescribed burns are set intentionally in order to

manage a forest and possible prevent destructive wild fires

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Assessment1. What are the three different classes of fires?

2. Which of the flowing is needed for a fire?

a. fuel

b. heat

c. oxygen

d. all of the above

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Assessment3. Name two components of a forest fire

prevention plan.

4. Smoke management can reduce air pollution and accidents.

a. true

b. false

5. Name three benefits of prescribed burns.

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Assessment6. Name the weather conditions that may effect

forest fire management.

7. Which type of prescribed fire is started along a baseline or anchor point and allowed back into the wind?

8. Flanking fire treats an area with fire lines set directly against the wind.

a. true

b. false38

Assessment9. Name the three types of forest fire

fuels.

10.Why is it necessary to evaluate a prescribed burn?

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Resources • http://www.smokeybear.com• http://www.bugwood.org• http://science.howstuffwork.com/• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fire/plants.html• http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/

ntuseland/essays/fire.htm• http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=32

2782&depNav_GID=1631

• http://www.forestencyclopedia.net • Alan J. Long. University of Florida

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Acknowledgements

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Project Coordinator:Meghan Blanek

Kellie Pond

Brandon O’Quinn

Production Manager:Dusty Moore

Executive Producers:Gordon Davis, Ph.D.,

Jeff LansdellGraphic Designer:Ann Adams

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