Wildland Firefighting Exam Questions
and Answers
The range of ignition temperatures of wood is between ____and ____degrees Fahrenheit - Answer-400
& 700
Normally the woody fuel of the wildland will burst into flame at approx. ____ degrees ( assuming
sufficient 02 is present) - Answer-540
The highest temperature that the sun could be expected to develop on a wind sheltered surface is ____
or ____ degrees - Answer-150, 160
Fire will burn as fiercely in darkness as it did in the daytime as a result of ____ - Answer-wind
Define Temperature Inversion - Answer-In an inversion, cooler air is found nearer the surface, with a
warming trend at a higher altitude
Fires burning in the cooler environment of an ____ can be expected to subside, become dormant and
sluggish, as higher relative humidity and higher fuel moistures become available - Answer-inversion
,The most prominent danger period involving an inversion will occur at ____ - Answer-at the point when
sluggish lower elevation fire suddenly burns through the lid into the warmer air above
Vertical air currents do not automatically develop in unstable air; some external force or lifting action
such as convection caused by surface heating or lifting over mountains ( ____ lifting) must supply the
initial motion - Answer-orographic
Decreasing temperature and increasing humidity of evening will cause a fire burning in a wooded
canyon to " ____" through the night - Answer-lay down
Fresh air is sucked toward the fire from a lower elevation or down along the canyon sides and the
sleeping fire bursts into new life with explosive speed and energy. This erratic fire behavior may form a "
____" condition - Answer-Blow up
_____,which is simply water in a gaseous state,is a most important ingredient in weather - Answer-
Water vapor (relative humidity)
The ____ is that temperature, at any given altitude, at which the air becomes completely saturated. -
Answer-dew point
The term ____ indicates the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually present to the maximum
amount that the air potentially could hold. - Answer-relative humidity
If relative humidity is ____ percent, the air is said to be completely saturated - Answer-100%
When the relative humidity descends below about ____, the situation is becoming favorable for
wildland fire. - Answer-30%
, When humidity is 40% or more how is grass affected and how will it burn. - Answer-Grass is affected
quite readily and may not burn at all for an hour or so after the humidity changes.
If fuel and topographic conditions do not alter the result, it can be said that a strong wind in one
prevailing direction will cause a long wedge or ____ shaped burn - Answer-elliptical
Large bodies of water, such as the ocean and lakes, usually cause winds to blow ____ as the sun warms
the land area about midday. - Answer-inland
The ____ (general) winds blowing above the surface are the predominant element much of the time -
Answer-Gradient
____ fronts will often give visible evidence of their presence in the form of high cloud cover. As these
fronts pass over, there will usually be a marked increase in wind velocity followed by abrupt ____ shift in
direction from 45 to 180 degrees - Answer-Cold, clockwise
The one general statement that can be made regarding expected normal wind movement in the
mountains is that ____ winds will occur as the result of surface heating in the daytime and ____ winds
will occur as the result of surface cooling at night. - Answer-upslope winds, downslope winds
Air will flow upward on what slopes first as the sun rises - Answer-On the east facing slopes first as the
sun rises
The ____ winds that normally occur in the fall of the year have the most devastating and adverse effect
on fires - Answer-Foehn- characterized by blowing downhill while hugging the land profile
Foehn winds are known as ____ winds in Northern CA, ____ winds in the Central Sierra and as Santa Ana
winds in Southern CA. Foehn winds are off shore winds and capable of reaching 80 to 90 mph - Answer-
North, Mono
and Answers
The range of ignition temperatures of wood is between ____and ____degrees Fahrenheit - Answer-400
& 700
Normally the woody fuel of the wildland will burst into flame at approx. ____ degrees ( assuming
sufficient 02 is present) - Answer-540
The highest temperature that the sun could be expected to develop on a wind sheltered surface is ____
or ____ degrees - Answer-150, 160
Fire will burn as fiercely in darkness as it did in the daytime as a result of ____ - Answer-wind
Define Temperature Inversion - Answer-In an inversion, cooler air is found nearer the surface, with a
warming trend at a higher altitude
Fires burning in the cooler environment of an ____ can be expected to subside, become dormant and
sluggish, as higher relative humidity and higher fuel moistures become available - Answer-inversion
,The most prominent danger period involving an inversion will occur at ____ - Answer-at the point when
sluggish lower elevation fire suddenly burns through the lid into the warmer air above
Vertical air currents do not automatically develop in unstable air; some external force or lifting action
such as convection caused by surface heating or lifting over mountains ( ____ lifting) must supply the
initial motion - Answer-orographic
Decreasing temperature and increasing humidity of evening will cause a fire burning in a wooded
canyon to " ____" through the night - Answer-lay down
Fresh air is sucked toward the fire from a lower elevation or down along the canyon sides and the
sleeping fire bursts into new life with explosive speed and energy. This erratic fire behavior may form a "
____" condition - Answer-Blow up
_____,which is simply water in a gaseous state,is a most important ingredient in weather - Answer-
Water vapor (relative humidity)
The ____ is that temperature, at any given altitude, at which the air becomes completely saturated. -
Answer-dew point
The term ____ indicates the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually present to the maximum
amount that the air potentially could hold. - Answer-relative humidity
If relative humidity is ____ percent, the air is said to be completely saturated - Answer-100%
When the relative humidity descends below about ____, the situation is becoming favorable for
wildland fire. - Answer-30%
, When humidity is 40% or more how is grass affected and how will it burn. - Answer-Grass is affected
quite readily and may not burn at all for an hour or so after the humidity changes.
If fuel and topographic conditions do not alter the result, it can be said that a strong wind in one
prevailing direction will cause a long wedge or ____ shaped burn - Answer-elliptical
Large bodies of water, such as the ocean and lakes, usually cause winds to blow ____ as the sun warms
the land area about midday. - Answer-inland
The ____ (general) winds blowing above the surface are the predominant element much of the time -
Answer-Gradient
____ fronts will often give visible evidence of their presence in the form of high cloud cover. As these
fronts pass over, there will usually be a marked increase in wind velocity followed by abrupt ____ shift in
direction from 45 to 180 degrees - Answer-Cold, clockwise
The one general statement that can be made regarding expected normal wind movement in the
mountains is that ____ winds will occur as the result of surface heating in the daytime and ____ winds
will occur as the result of surface cooling at night. - Answer-upslope winds, downslope winds
Air will flow upward on what slopes first as the sun rises - Answer-On the east facing slopes first as the
sun rises
The ____ winds that normally occur in the fall of the year have the most devastating and adverse effect
on fires - Answer-Foehn- characterized by blowing downhill while hugging the land profile
Foehn winds are known as ____ winds in Northern CA, ____ winds in the Central Sierra and as Santa Ana
winds in Southern CA. Foehn winds are off shore winds and capable of reaching 80 to 90 mph - Answer-
North, Mono
