S-130 SUPPRESSION COMMUNICATION AND
MOP-UP ACTUAL EXAM SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Direct Attack. Answer: In a direct attack, the IC determines if
personnel and resources can safely work against the flames directly.
One of the primary determining factors in direct attack is flame lengths.
Normally, flame lengths of less than 4 feet (1.2 m) can be fought directly
with hand tools and handlines. When working in this manner, keep one
foot in the black and one foot in the unburned area. Flames up to 8 feet
(2.4 meters) require heavy equipment or airdrops.
Some common direct attack techniques include:
- Smothering or removing fuel with hand tools
- Spraying water in stationary or mobile attack
◉ Indirect Attack. Answer: When flame lengths exceed 8 feet (2.4
meters), direct attack of any kind becomes impractical. In this situation,
indirect attack is the only option.
Indirect attack requires firefighters to build control lines, either by hand,
with mechanized equipment, with water (wet line), or by using existing
natural or man-made barriers. You then burnout or backfire fuels
,between the control line and the oncoming fire edge. On large incidents,
you may be miles from the actual fire edge. On smaller incidents, you
may be very close to the flame front.
◉ Flank Attack. Answer: Another tactic for fighting wildland fires is the
flank attack, also referred to as a flanking attack or flanking the fire. The
flank attack is used for moderately intense fires moving at a moderate
rate of spread (ROS).
Here's the skinny on flank attacks:
Start a flank attack at a secure anchor point on one or both flanks of a
fire, and work toward the head.
Attack the flanks directly or indirectly—the distance of the control line
from the fire edge usually depends on fire intensity
Attack the flanks simultaneously or successively, depending on fire
conditions and resources available
Aircraft can be one of the flank-attack resources when necessary
◉ Parallel Attack. Answer: A control line is constructed as near to the
fire's edge as possible while still allowing enough time to complete the
line before the fire front arrives. For this reason, parallel attacks often
employ mechanized equipment, such as tractor-plows and bulldozers,
because the line can be constructed more quickly.
, The parallel attack is similar to an indirect attack, but the control line is
constructed much closer to the fire's edge, usually within 100 feet (30
m). The area sacrificed to the fire is smaller than in an indirect attack.
A parallel attack reduces the labor of hand crews because a line can be
constructed straight across indentations of the fire front, thus shortening
the line. When performing a parallel attack, the area between the control
line and the fire is usually burned out as the work progresses, or
firefighters patrol the line to ensure that it is not breached when the main
fire reaches it.
Use a parallel attack:
Whenever a fire is too intense for direct attack
When a fire's edge is so irregular that direct attack would result in an
excessively long control line
To keep the fire away from heavy fuels
To encircle spot fires
◉ Hot Spotting. Answer: Hotspotting involves making a rapid attack on
the hot-burning points of a fire's edge, such as rapidly developing fingers
or other active parts of a fire that are threatening life or high-value
property.
Hotspotting is done prior to constructing control lines and is one of the
more dangerous tactics because it is not initiated from an anchor point.
MOP-UP ACTUAL EXAM SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Direct Attack. Answer: In a direct attack, the IC determines if
personnel and resources can safely work against the flames directly.
One of the primary determining factors in direct attack is flame lengths.
Normally, flame lengths of less than 4 feet (1.2 m) can be fought directly
with hand tools and handlines. When working in this manner, keep one
foot in the black and one foot in the unburned area. Flames up to 8 feet
(2.4 meters) require heavy equipment or airdrops.
Some common direct attack techniques include:
- Smothering or removing fuel with hand tools
- Spraying water in stationary or mobile attack
◉ Indirect Attack. Answer: When flame lengths exceed 8 feet (2.4
meters), direct attack of any kind becomes impractical. In this situation,
indirect attack is the only option.
Indirect attack requires firefighters to build control lines, either by hand,
with mechanized equipment, with water (wet line), or by using existing
natural or man-made barriers. You then burnout or backfire fuels
,between the control line and the oncoming fire edge. On large incidents,
you may be miles from the actual fire edge. On smaller incidents, you
may be very close to the flame front.
◉ Flank Attack. Answer: Another tactic for fighting wildland fires is the
flank attack, also referred to as a flanking attack or flanking the fire. The
flank attack is used for moderately intense fires moving at a moderate
rate of spread (ROS).
Here's the skinny on flank attacks:
Start a flank attack at a secure anchor point on one or both flanks of a
fire, and work toward the head.
Attack the flanks directly or indirectly—the distance of the control line
from the fire edge usually depends on fire intensity
Attack the flanks simultaneously or successively, depending on fire
conditions and resources available
Aircraft can be one of the flank-attack resources when necessary
◉ Parallel Attack. Answer: A control line is constructed as near to the
fire's edge as possible while still allowing enough time to complete the
line before the fire front arrives. For this reason, parallel attacks often
employ mechanized equipment, such as tractor-plows and bulldozers,
because the line can be constructed more quickly.
, The parallel attack is similar to an indirect attack, but the control line is
constructed much closer to the fire's edge, usually within 100 feet (30
m). The area sacrificed to the fire is smaller than in an indirect attack.
A parallel attack reduces the labor of hand crews because a line can be
constructed straight across indentations of the fire front, thus shortening
the line. When performing a parallel attack, the area between the control
line and the fire is usually burned out as the work progresses, or
firefighters patrol the line to ensure that it is not breached when the main
fire reaches it.
Use a parallel attack:
Whenever a fire is too intense for direct attack
When a fire's edge is so irregular that direct attack would result in an
excessively long control line
To keep the fire away from heavy fuels
To encircle spot fires
◉ Hot Spotting. Answer: Hotspotting involves making a rapid attack on
the hot-burning points of a fire's edge, such as rapidly developing fingers
or other active parts of a fire that are threatening life or high-value
property.
Hotspotting is done prior to constructing control lines and is one of the
more dangerous tactics because it is not initiated from an anchor point.
