S-130 Wildland Communication,
Suppression, and Mop Up Questions
And Answers 100% Verified
Variables to Consider When Deciding Tactics - Correct Answer-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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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.
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 - Correct Answer-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 Questions
And Answers 100% Verified
Variables to Consider When Deciding Tactics - Correct Answer-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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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 - Correct 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.
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 - Correct Answer-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.
