Holding and Contingencies Instructor:

OBJECTIVES•Demonstrate and describe how to maintain a fire within an authorized area.•List the four operational phases of a prescribed fire.•Describe what to do when a prescribed fire escapes or burns out of prescription.•Discuss standards for mop up and declaring the fire out.

Before Striking that Match!Consider Actions In Each Operational Phase:Planning/Evaluation

Ignition/Holding

Mop Up

Declaring Fire Out

• Always Prepare a Prescribed Burning Plan!

Know Recent

Fire Behavior!

During the Planning Phase:

Know your area,

be familiar with

Natural and Manmade

barriers e.g., -

canals, creeks

swamps,

streams, etc.

Fir

e F

lap

KNOW YOUR HOLDING ANDSUPPRESSION

FORCES

Backpack Pump

OTHER HAND TOOLS AND CREW SKILLS

Mobile Attack

In Florida The TRACTOR/PLOW is the Primary Initial Attack Unit

SUPPRESSION

Fire Weather/Environmental Conditions

• Fire weather and environmental conditions should be monitored prior to the burn. NOAA and the National Weather Service provide fire weather forecasts, general forecasts, and hydrological information. The Florida Forest Service also provides important information for prescribed burners. Examples from their website follow:

• (http://www.floridaforestservice.com/wildfire/information.html) Under “Wildfire Information” current conditions are displayed in map format:

“Wildfire Information” Current Conditions

‘Wildland Fire Activity Daily Reports’ under same web page: Wildfire Statistics• Statistics. Important information includes:

• “Weather Observations:

• Details the weather observations at Florida Forest Service field units at 2:00 pm.

• • RH is relative humidity. • Temperature is given at the low and high for that day.

• • Herb Stage is a measure of how green the vegetation is in that area: 3=green, 2=transition and 1=cured or frost killed.• Buildup is a measure of the drought conditions.• Spread tells us how difficult a fire will be to control due in large part to wind speed. • FRL means Fire Readiness Level; this is a number between 1 and 5. The higher the number, the more severe the fire conditions are in that area.

  Observed Forecast

CountyRH@

1:00PMERC FDI Min RH ERC FDI

Alachua 63 12 1 47 12 1

Baker 62 11 1 46 11 1

Bay 59 31 2 55 30 2

Bradford 63 12 1 47 12 1

Brevard 67 23 1 61 23 1

Broward 68 21 1 54 21 1

Calhoun 59 22 1 54 21 1

Charlotte 55 13 1 54 13 1

Citrus 55 11 1 59 9 1

Clay 58 15 1 45 17 1

Collier 55 21 1 53 20 1

Fire Danger Index (FDI) Report - Jul 05, 2012 (for 11 Florida counties)

FIRE READINESS LEVELS

• FIRE READINESS LEVEL 1 Little or no fire activity is anticipated.

• FIRE READINESS LEVEL 2 Some routine fires anticipated. No more than 50% of resources should be committed. No difficulty expected with control or mop-up.

• FIRE READINESS LEVEL 3 Very active fire day anticipated. Fire occurrence above average and difficulty of control expected. May have to commit 80% of resources.

FIRE READINESS LEVELS (Cont.)

• FIRE READINESS LEVEL 4 Fire situation expected to be difficult. May have fires carrying over from the previous day, new fires starting and most fires difficult to control. All resources likely to be committed and assistance from outside the District may be required.

FIRE READINESS LEVELS (Cont.)

• FIRE READINESS LEVEL 5 Both fire danger and fire situation extreme. Requirements will exceed District capability. Numerous large fires expected. Difficulty with control and mop-up. Outside help will be required beyond a 24 hour period. Incident command team(s) may be set up.

During the Ignition/ Holding Phase: Maintain

Situational Awareness

Wet Line

Retardant Line

Surface Burn

Complete Burn

Identify Special Threats

Threats to Line

Debris Pile Unburned Island

Burning Snags Re-burning

Constantly Evaluate

Smoldering Creeping

RunningShort Range Spotting

Deal With Problems ASAP

Long Range Spotting

TorchingCrown Fire

Excessive Fire Behavior Or Out of Prescription?

1. Put It Out 2. Call FFS 3. Mop Up

Mop-Up

• A black line is a safe line!

• Have clean line and burnout adjacent fuels inside the line.

• Develop written standards:

Refer to Pg 13 Under “Standards and Mop-up activities may include:”

Is this a “good” control line?

Mop-Up

• Fell snags away from the line. Cut open and scatter fire or hot coals.

• Expose the bottom surface of logs for hidden fire and hot coals

Securing the Control Line

Systematic Mop Up: Start with the hottest area and progress toward the

coolest. Plan a beginning and an ending point. Work inward from the control line. Examine the entire assigned area. For large burns and /or complicated situations,

some type of grid system should be implemented.

Mop-Up (cont’d)

• Kick up and cool the hot spots first with water or dirt.

• Be sure to go completely around the edge - head, rear, and flanks, check for logs, stumps, roots and duff pockets.

Mop-Up (cont’d)

• Be sure to cut off roots that might go under fire line.

• Cold trailing is: feeling the ground for subsurface fire (hot spots).

• Check for spot fires outside your line.

Securing the Control Line

Detecting Hot Materials: Sight Touch Smell Hearing

The Difference Counts

What?!? The fire flared up

in our mop-up area…

But we did a real good job! 24:00 hrs !!!

That’s good enough for now.

We have important things to

get to!

17:00 hrs

Develop Written Standards (see pg 14 for examples)

If Your FireEscapes!!Stop! and

Size Up the Fire

Dozer Crew

Call FFS for help sooner rather

than later

Size Up: Fuels Size Rate of Spread Hazards/Exposures Exact Location Additional Resources

Needed

Decisions to Make

• Where to Attack

• How to Attack

• Location of Line

• Type of Line

• Force Needed

• Help Needed!!! (Call NOW)

Determine Danger Spots

• Snags

• Fuel Buildup

• Swamps

Control Line Location

• Determine distance in front of fire

• Locate this place on the ground.

• Avoid dangerous areas

• Use areas of easy line construction

• Decide where to anchor line (wet area, creek, grade etc.)

         

                          

                        

Search

                           

                       

BURNER’S PROVERB

My fire and my smoke are my problems wherever they go

Questions?