Initial Attack Strategy & Tactics.
Wildland Firefighting
_________ are overall plans and actions to control the fire. - answerStrategies
________ are techniques to accomplish the strategy - answerTactics
Your size-up of the fire begins when you leave the station - answer
The smoke column is small, thick, and white in color.
This may mean a _________ fire. If the smoke puffs up every so often, it may mean
someone is burning leaves or grass and "feeding" it. - answersmall grass
The smoke is widening at the base; it is predominantly white, but starting to turn brown
or black on its downwind side - answerThis may indicate the fire is spreading in grass
and moving into heavier fuels. Dead brush will burn with a dark brown color; brush with
a higher oil content will burn black.
The column of smoke is thick and black, with no spread to the base - answerThis could
be structure or vehicle fire. It may also be tires
The column is going up, but the top of the smoke is bent over - answerThere is little
surface wind, but there is wind where the smoke bends
The smoke is bent over at the ground and building in volume and intensity. - answerThe
fire is wind-driven with a good fuel supply
The smoke has built to several thousand feet and a small white cloud has formed on the
top. - answerDon't plan on days off. You are going to be quite busy
An acre is ______ square feet or a square 209 feet on a side - answer43,560
Determining rate of spread:
Low - answerThe head of the fire moves less than 100 feet per hour.
Determining rate of spread:
Moderate - answerThe head of the fire moves from 100 to 400 feet per hour.
Determining rate of spread:
High - answerThe head of the fire moves from 400 to 1800 feet per hour
Determining rate of spread:
, Extreme - answerThe head of the fire moves over 1800 feet per hour
Rate of spread and flame length are good indicators for fire behavior. - answer
The ______ objectives for the incident are broad statements that describe major
actions. They don't necessarily state how you plan on attacking the fire, but what you
plan to do, or what you want to accomplish. - answerstrategic
INITIAL ATTACK TACTICS
Offensive Action - An offensive attack is one that confines and controls the fire by
constructing fireline. Protection of structures may be required, but the majority of the fire
suppression effort is focused on ________ - answerline construction
Defensive Action - A defensive action is taken when the fire behavior is such that an
offensive action would not be productive, loss of structures would occur, or is too
dangerous. - answer
You can be defensive on one part of the fire and offensive on another; don't mix actions
on the same part of the line - answer
Proper tactics for attacking the fire : (3)
The _________ method, where you work directly on the fire's edge
The _________ attack method, where you construct the fireline just away (6 to 50 feet)
from the fire's edge
The _________ attack method, where the fireline is constructed some distance from the
fire. - answerDirect, parallel, indirect
If the flame length is over ____ feet, the fire is probably burning too intensely for a direct
attack - answerfour
_______ Attack is conducted in lighter fuels, directly on the flaming edge of the fire -
answerDirect
There is a variation of the direct attack that is referred to as the _______ method. In this
case you construct the fireline a couple of feet from the burning edge. This allows the
firefighter to be a little farther away from the heat of the fire, and is normally used when
the attack is done without the aid of water - answertwo foot
_________ A attack is usually the safest attack mode. - answerdirect
Advantages of direct attack (5) - answer■ There is a minimal area burned. No additional
area is intentionally burned.
■ Safest place to work. Firefighters can usually escape into the burned area
■ Full advantage is taken of burned out areas.
■ May reduce the possibility of the fire moving into the crowns of the trees or brush.
■ Eliminates the uncertain elements of burning-out or backfiring.
Wildland Firefighting
_________ are overall plans and actions to control the fire. - answerStrategies
________ are techniques to accomplish the strategy - answerTactics
Your size-up of the fire begins when you leave the station - answer
The smoke column is small, thick, and white in color.
This may mean a _________ fire. If the smoke puffs up every so often, it may mean
someone is burning leaves or grass and "feeding" it. - answersmall grass
The smoke is widening at the base; it is predominantly white, but starting to turn brown
or black on its downwind side - answerThis may indicate the fire is spreading in grass
and moving into heavier fuels. Dead brush will burn with a dark brown color; brush with
a higher oil content will burn black.
The column of smoke is thick and black, with no spread to the base - answerThis could
be structure or vehicle fire. It may also be tires
The column is going up, but the top of the smoke is bent over - answerThere is little
surface wind, but there is wind where the smoke bends
The smoke is bent over at the ground and building in volume and intensity. - answerThe
fire is wind-driven with a good fuel supply
The smoke has built to several thousand feet and a small white cloud has formed on the
top. - answerDon't plan on days off. You are going to be quite busy
An acre is ______ square feet or a square 209 feet on a side - answer43,560
Determining rate of spread:
Low - answerThe head of the fire moves less than 100 feet per hour.
Determining rate of spread:
Moderate - answerThe head of the fire moves from 100 to 400 feet per hour.
Determining rate of spread:
High - answerThe head of the fire moves from 400 to 1800 feet per hour
Determining rate of spread:
, Extreme - answerThe head of the fire moves over 1800 feet per hour
Rate of spread and flame length are good indicators for fire behavior. - answer
The ______ objectives for the incident are broad statements that describe major
actions. They don't necessarily state how you plan on attacking the fire, but what you
plan to do, or what you want to accomplish. - answerstrategic
INITIAL ATTACK TACTICS
Offensive Action - An offensive attack is one that confines and controls the fire by
constructing fireline. Protection of structures may be required, but the majority of the fire
suppression effort is focused on ________ - answerline construction
Defensive Action - A defensive action is taken when the fire behavior is such that an
offensive action would not be productive, loss of structures would occur, or is too
dangerous. - answer
You can be defensive on one part of the fire and offensive on another; don't mix actions
on the same part of the line - answer
Proper tactics for attacking the fire : (3)
The _________ method, where you work directly on the fire's edge
The _________ attack method, where you construct the fireline just away (6 to 50 feet)
from the fire's edge
The _________ attack method, where the fireline is constructed some distance from the
fire. - answerDirect, parallel, indirect
If the flame length is over ____ feet, the fire is probably burning too intensely for a direct
attack - answerfour
_______ Attack is conducted in lighter fuels, directly on the flaming edge of the fire -
answerDirect
There is a variation of the direct attack that is referred to as the _______ method. In this
case you construct the fireline a couple of feet from the burning edge. This allows the
firefighter to be a little farther away from the heat of the fire, and is normally used when
the attack is done without the aid of water - answertwo foot
_________ A attack is usually the safest attack mode. - answerdirect
Advantages of direct attack (5) - answer■ There is a minimal area burned. No additional
area is intentionally burned.
■ Safest place to work. Firefighters can usually escape into the burned area
■ Full advantage is taken of burned out areas.
■ May reduce the possibility of the fire moving into the crowns of the trees or brush.
■ Eliminates the uncertain elements of burning-out or backfiring.
