Fireground Terminology
The front of the fire that spreads over unburnt areas
What is the head?
A wildfire that burn mainly on the ground
What is a surface fire?
Fires generally spread faster when moving in this direction relative to slope
What is uphill?
Suppression method where crews work directly on the fire edge.
What is a direct attack?
The safety system acronym: Lookouts, Awareness, Communications, Escape routes, Safety zones
What is LACES?
Measurement of how fast a fire grows over time
What is the rate of spread?
A wildfire that spreads through the tops of trees
What is a crown fire?
The most significant weather factor affecting fire spread
What is wind?
Burning fuel ahead of a fire to stop its spread
What is backburning?
Water reserve percentage crews should maintain for safety
What is approximately 25%?
Unburnt area inside a fire perimeter
What is an island?
A fire that burns below the ground in organic material
What is a ground fire?
Low levels of this increase fire intensity and ignition likelihood
What is relative humidity?
The three main wildfire attack strategies
What are direct, parallel, and indirect attack?
Two common physical risks for wildfire firefighters.
What are dehydration and heat stress?
Process of extinguishing hotspots after containment
What is mopping up (blacking out)?
Small fires started ahead of the main fire by embers
What are spot fires?
Increasing slope has these effects on fire behaviour
What is increased rate of spread and intensity?
The safest point to start constructing a fireline
What is an anchor point?
Flame height threshold where direct attack may become unsafe
What is around 1.5 metres?
A strip of land where fuel is reduced to slow fire spread
What is a firebreak (or buffer)?
A situation where a section of fire overruns personnel and/or equipment
What is a burnover?
Slopes facing this direction in Australia are typically hotter and drier.
What are north and west facing slopes?
A cleared or natural barrier used to stop fire spread.
What is a control line?
Minimum safe distance from downed powerlines
What is approximately 30 metres?