S-130 Wildland Firefighter Training Exam Questions And Answers

List the 18 watch outs - ANS 1. Fire not scouted and sized up 2. In country not seen in daylight 3. safety zones and escape routes not identified 4. Unfamiliar with weather and local factors influencing fire behavior 5. Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards 6. Instructions and assignments not clear 7. No communication link with crew members and supervisors 8. Constructing line without a safe anchor point 9. Building fireline downhill with fire below 10. Attempting frontal assault on fire 11. Unburned fuel between you and the fire 12. Cannot see main fire; not in contact with someone who can 13. On a hillside where rolling material can ignite fuel below 14. Weather becoming hotter and drier 15. Wind increases and/or changes direction 16. Getting frequent spot fires across line 17. Terrain and fuels make escape to safety zones difficult 18. Taking a nap near fireline List 10 Standard Firefighting Orders - ANS 1. Keep informed on weather conditions and forecast 2. Know what your fire is doing at all times 3. Base all actions on current and expected behavior or the fire 4. Identify escape routes and safety zones and make them known 5. Post lookouts when there is possible danger 6. Be alert, keep calm, think clearly, and act decisively 7. Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces 8. Give clear instructions and be sure they are understood 9. Maintain control of you forces at all times 10. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first Identify nine parts of a fire - ANS (1) Origin, (2) Head, (3) Flank, (4) Rear/Heel, (5) Perimeter, (6) Finger, (7) Pocket, (8) Island, (9) Spot Fire Orgin - ANS The location where the fire started Head - ANS Shows the direction in which the fire is burning. This is the hottest and most active part of the fire Flank - ANS Sides of the fire, parallel to the main direction of spread. May have active fire, but not as hot as the head of the fire. Rear/Heel - ANS Opposite the head of the fire and burning less vigorously, if at all. Often near the fire origin. Perimeter - ANS Boundary of the fire or fire edge. May not have active fire on some portions. Finger - ANS An area, usually a narrow strip, that burns away from the main part of the fire. Could be dangerous if personnel working the fire are flanked by a finger. Pocket - ANS Unburned area between the main fire and any fingers. Island - ANS Area of unburned fuel inside the fire perimeter. Spot Fire - ANS Burning area outside the main fire perimeter, often caused by wind blown embers or rolling debris. Name nine fire behavior terms - ANS (1) Smoldering, (2) Creeping, (3) Running, (4) Backing, (5) Spotting, (6) Torching, (7) Crowning, (8) Blowup Smoldering - ANS Fire burning without flame and barely spreading Creeping - ANS Fire burning with a low flame and spreading slowly Running - ANS Fire spreading rapidly with a well-defined head. Backing - ANS Fire moving away from the head downhill, or against the wind Spotting - ANS Sparks or embers produced by the main fire that are carried by winds or convection columns. Torching - ANS Fire burning on the surface, but periodically igniting the crown of a single or small group of trees or shrubs before returning to the surface. Although sometimes confused with crowning this behavior is not as serious as a crown fire. Crowning - ANS Fire that advances across tops of trees or shrubs more or less independent of surface fire. High fire intensity and high forward rate of spread. Use crown fire or crowning with care because it describes a very serious fire situation. Blowup - ANS Sudden increase in fire intensity or rate of spread of a fire sufficient to preclude direct control or to upset existing suppression plans. Name five other useful firefighting terms - ANS (1) Control Line, (2) Fireline, (3) Anchor Point, (4) Mopup, (5) Class of fire Control Line - ANS A comprehensive term used for all the constructed or natural fire barriers and treated fire edges used to contain the fire. Fireline - ANS Any clear strip or portion of a control line from which flammable material has been removed by scraping or digging down to mineral soil. Anchor Point - ANS An advantageous location, generally a fire barrier, from which to start constructing a fireline. Used to minimize the chance of being outflanked by the fire while the line is being constructed. Mop-up - ANS Final extinguishing of a fire after it is lined Describe the classes of fire - ANS This classifies the size of the fire with class "A" being the smallest and class "G" being the largest. What are the four main types of crews commonly used in initial attack and extended attack? - ANS Hand Crew, Engine Crew, Helitack Crew, Dozers/Tractor Plow Crew Name 4 common denominators of fire behavior on fatal and near-fatal fires - ANS - Relatively small fires or isolated areas of large fires. - In deceptively light fuels, such as grass, herbs, and light brush. - Responds to topographic conditions and runs uphill. - Shift in wind direction or in wind speed. Safety zones must be pre-located to avoid: - ANS - Locations that are downhill from the fire - Locations that are in chimneys, saddles, or narrow canyons - Locations that require a steep uphill escape route (greater than 50% slope) - Exposure to heavy fuel concentration on the windward sides of the ridges, rocks, and other solid objects What type of fuel does a drip torch use? - ANS Drip torches use a combination of gas and diesel. Gas burns too quickly, while diesel does not burn efficiently enough. What are the three sides of the fire triangle? - ANS 1. Oxygen 2. Heat 3. Fuel What factors influence fire line construction? - ANS Fuel type, fuel moisture, temperature, wind, and continuity and arrangement of fuel all influence fire line construction. What are the five methods of attack? - ANS 1. Direct attack 2. Indirect attack 3. Cold trailing 4. Hot spotting 5. Burnout Direct Attack - ANS Any treatment of burning fuel, such as by wetting, smothering, or chemically quenching the fire or by physically separating burning from unburned fuel. Indirect Attack - ANS Any method of attack that is done away from the actual fire itself, such as digging line. Hot Spotting - ANS Reducing or stopping the spread of fire at points of particularly rapid rate of spread or special threat. Cold Trailing - ANS A method of controlling a partly dead fire edge by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hand for heat to detect any fire, digging out every live spot, and trenching any live edge. Burnout - ANS Setting a fire inside a control line to widen it or consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line. What is the purpose of a cup trench? - ANS A cup trench is used to catch any burning debris rolling downhill.