WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
The range of ignition temperatures of wood is between ____and ____degrees
Fahrenheit - ANSWERS400 & 700
Normally the woody fuel of the wildland will burst into flame at approx. ____ degrees
( assuming sufficient 02 is present) - ANSWERS540
The highest temperature that the sun could be expected to develop on a wind sheltered
surface is ____ or ____ degrees - ANSWERS150, 160
Fire will burn as fiercely in darkness as it did in the daytime as a result of ____ -
ANSWERSwind
Define Temperature Inversion - ANSWERSIn an inversion, cooler air is found nearer the
surface, with a warming trend at a higher altitude
Fires burning in the cooler environment of an ____ can be expected to subside, become
dormant and sluggish, as higher relative humidity and higher fuel moistures become
available - ANSWERSinversion
The most prominent danger period involving an inversion will occur at ____ -
ANSWERSat the point when sluggish lower elevation fire suddenly burns through the lid
into the warmer air above
Vertical air currents do not automatically develop in unstable air; some external force or
lifting action such as convection caused by surface heating or lifting over mountains
( ____ lifting) must supply the initial motion - ANSWERSorographic
Decreasing temperature and increasing humidity of evening will cause a fire burning in
a wooded canyon to " ____" through the night - ANSWERSlay down
Fresh air is sucked toward the fire from a lower elevation or down along the canyon
sides and the sleeping fire bursts into new life with explosive speed and energy. This
erratic fire behavior may form a " ____" condition - ANSWERSBlow up
_____,which is simply water in a gaseous state,is a most important ingredient in
weather - ANSWERSWater vapor (relative humidity)
The ____ is that temperature, at any given altitude, at which the air becomes completely
saturated. - ANSWERSdew point
, The term ____ indicates the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually present to the
maximum amount that the air potentially could hold. - ANSWERSrelative humidity
If relative humidity is ____ percent, the air is said to be completely saturated -
ANSWERS100%
When the relative humidity descends below about ____, the situation is becoming
favorable for wildland fire. - ANSWERS30%
When humidity is 40% or more how is grass affected and how will it burn. -
ANSWERSGrass is affected quite readily and may not burn at all for an hour or so after
the humidity changes.
If fuel and topographic conditions do not alter the result, it can be said that a strong wind
in one prevailing direction will cause a long wedge or ____ shaped burn -
ANSWERSelliptical
Large bodies of water, such as the ocean and lakes, usually cause winds to blow ____
as the sun warms the land area about midday. - ANSWERSinland
The ____ (general) winds blowing above the surface are the predominant element
much of the time - ANSWERSGradient
____ fronts will often give visible evidence of their presence in the form of high cloud
cover. As these fronts pass over, there will usually be a marked increase in wind
velocity followed by abrupt ____ shift in direction from 45 to 180 degrees -
ANSWERSCold, clockwise
The one general statement that can be made regarding expected normal wind
movement in the mountains is that ____ winds will occur as the result of surface heating
in the daytime and ____ winds will occur as the result of surface cooling at night. -
ANSWERSupslope winds, downslope winds
Air will flow upward on what slopes first as the sun rises - ANSWERSOn the east facing
slopes first as the sun rises
The ____ winds that normally occur in the fall of the year have the most devastating and
adverse effect on fires - ANSWERSFoehn- characterized by blowing downhill while
hugging the land profile
Foehn winds are known as ____ winds in Northern CA, ____ winds in the Central Sierra
and as Santa Ana winds in Southern CA. Foehn winds are off shore winds and capable
of reaching 80 to 90 mph - ANSWERSNorth, Mono
Wind not only affects fire behavior, but creates related problems for firefighters. Perhaps
the most common is ____ - ANSWERSeye injury
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
The range of ignition temperatures of wood is between ____and ____degrees
Fahrenheit - ANSWERS400 & 700
Normally the woody fuel of the wildland will burst into flame at approx. ____ degrees
( assuming sufficient 02 is present) - ANSWERS540
The highest temperature that the sun could be expected to develop on a wind sheltered
surface is ____ or ____ degrees - ANSWERS150, 160
Fire will burn as fiercely in darkness as it did in the daytime as a result of ____ -
ANSWERSwind
Define Temperature Inversion - ANSWERSIn an inversion, cooler air is found nearer the
surface, with a warming trend at a higher altitude
Fires burning in the cooler environment of an ____ can be expected to subside, become
dormant and sluggish, as higher relative humidity and higher fuel moistures become
available - ANSWERSinversion
The most prominent danger period involving an inversion will occur at ____ -
ANSWERSat the point when sluggish lower elevation fire suddenly burns through the lid
into the warmer air above
Vertical air currents do not automatically develop in unstable air; some external force or
lifting action such as convection caused by surface heating or lifting over mountains
( ____ lifting) must supply the initial motion - ANSWERSorographic
Decreasing temperature and increasing humidity of evening will cause a fire burning in
a wooded canyon to " ____" through the night - ANSWERSlay down
Fresh air is sucked toward the fire from a lower elevation or down along the canyon
sides and the sleeping fire bursts into new life with explosive speed and energy. This
erratic fire behavior may form a " ____" condition - ANSWERSBlow up
_____,which is simply water in a gaseous state,is a most important ingredient in
weather - ANSWERSWater vapor (relative humidity)
The ____ is that temperature, at any given altitude, at which the air becomes completely
saturated. - ANSWERSdew point
, The term ____ indicates the ratio of the amount of water vapor actually present to the
maximum amount that the air potentially could hold. - ANSWERSrelative humidity
If relative humidity is ____ percent, the air is said to be completely saturated -
ANSWERS100%
When the relative humidity descends below about ____, the situation is becoming
favorable for wildland fire. - ANSWERS30%
When humidity is 40% or more how is grass affected and how will it burn. -
ANSWERSGrass is affected quite readily and may not burn at all for an hour or so after
the humidity changes.
If fuel and topographic conditions do not alter the result, it can be said that a strong wind
in one prevailing direction will cause a long wedge or ____ shaped burn -
ANSWERSelliptical
Large bodies of water, such as the ocean and lakes, usually cause winds to blow ____
as the sun warms the land area about midday. - ANSWERSinland
The ____ (general) winds blowing above the surface are the predominant element
much of the time - ANSWERSGradient
____ fronts will often give visible evidence of their presence in the form of high cloud
cover. As these fronts pass over, there will usually be a marked increase in wind
velocity followed by abrupt ____ shift in direction from 45 to 180 degrees -
ANSWERSCold, clockwise
The one general statement that can be made regarding expected normal wind
movement in the mountains is that ____ winds will occur as the result of surface heating
in the daytime and ____ winds will occur as the result of surface cooling at night. -
ANSWERSupslope winds, downslope winds
Air will flow upward on what slopes first as the sun rises - ANSWERSOn the east facing
slopes first as the sun rises
The ____ winds that normally occur in the fall of the year have the most devastating and
adverse effect on fires - ANSWERSFoehn- characterized by blowing downhill while
hugging the land profile
Foehn winds are known as ____ winds in Northern CA, ____ winds in the Central Sierra
and as Santa Ana winds in Southern CA. Foehn winds are off shore winds and capable
of reaching 80 to 90 mph - ANSWERSNorth, Mono
Wind not only affects fire behavior, but creates related problems for firefighters. Perhaps
the most common is ____ - ANSWERSeye injury
