S-130 Wildland Communication,
Suppression, and Mop Up Exam
Questions and Answers
Variables to Consider When Deciding Tactics ANSWERS When deciding the
tactics to use in a particular situation, Command will take into account:
Actual or potential life hazards
Exposures—threatened property or resources
Fuel types, moisture, continuity, and arrangement
Current and expected weather, including temperature and especially wind
Topography
Anchor points
Direct Attack ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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.
Hotspotting is usually done by any available resources (with the proper experience) and
should be done from within the black or by taking advantage of other natural barriers.
Cold Trailing ANSWERS Firefighters cold trail to try to improve their control of a
partly dead fire edge by checking for hot spots and widening the line or cutting a new
one if necessary.
Cold trailing involves carefully inspecting and feeling with bare hands to detect any fire,
digging out and extinguishing every hot spot, and even building new fireline around any
live edges.
Suppression, and Mop Up Exam
Questions and Answers
Variables to Consider When Deciding Tactics ANSWERS When deciding the
tactics to use in a particular situation, Command will take into account:
Actual or potential life hazards
Exposures—threatened property or resources
Fuel types, moisture, continuity, and arrangement
Current and expected weather, including temperature and especially wind
Topography
Anchor points
Direct Attack ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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 ANSWERS 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.
Hotspotting is usually done by any available resources (with the proper experience) and
should be done from within the black or by taking advantage of other natural barriers.
Cold Trailing ANSWERS Firefighters cold trail to try to improve their control of a
partly dead fire edge by checking for hot spots and widening the line or cutting a new
one if necessary.
Cold trailing involves carefully inspecting and feeling with bare hands to detect any fire,
digging out and extinguishing every hot spot, and even building new fireline around any
live edges.
