NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

Overview

The NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire provides an extensive listing of approved terms and definitions used by the NWCG community. It contains terms commonly used by NWCG in the areas of wildland fire and incident management and is not intended to list all terms used by NWCG groups and member agencies. The NWCG has directed that all committee and subgroup product glossaries be contained within the NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire to maintain definition consistency and clarity among documents.

Comments, questions, and recommendations shall be submitted to the appropriate agency program manager assigned to the Data Standards and Terminology Board (DSTB).

NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205 (Quick View)

EDG Explorer is a database platform used for managing NWCG Glossary terms. The following table is a quick view of the terms found in EDG. More detailed information such as rules, documentation, and term relationships may be viewed in EDG Explorer.

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Title	Status	Definition
Thunderstorm/Tornado/High Winds	Approved	An event dealing with response to a severe storm such as thunderstorms, tornado, or high winds.
Seasonal Data Collection Station
National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service Identifier
Community Event	Approved	An event initiated by local private or government organizations that require non-emergency services for a general gathering such as a concert, convention, or parade.
Structure Fire	Approved	An event dealing with a fire originating in and burning any part or an entire building, shelter, or other structure.
Urban Search/Rescue/Recovery	Approved	An event dealing with a search, and/or rescue, and/or recovery in an urban setting.
Search/Rescue/Recovery	Approved	An event, usually managed by organizations external to the fire community, for which the primary focus is the search, rescue and/or recovery of people or things. This category includes missing persons, entrapments, etc.
Non-Statistical/Other	Approved	An event dealing with any fire which could pose a threat to ignite adjacent wildland fuels but ultimately did not result in a wildfire and thus cannot be accurately classified as any of the other Fire (FI) Categories.
Incident Complex	Approved	Two or more distinct incidents in the same general area that, by management action, are managed under a single incident commander or unified command in order to improve efficiency and simplify incident management processes.
Tsunami	Approved	An event dealing with response to a tsunami.
Motor Vehicle Accident	Approved	An event dealing with an accident or mishap involving on- or off-highway vehicles.
Proficiency & Currency Event	Approved	An event dealing with maintenance of licenses, currencies, or proficiencies, including recurring proficiencies.
Landslide/Mass Earth Movement/Avalanche/Sinkhole	Approved	An event dealing with response to mass movement of the earth's surface, including landslide, mudslide, slumping, sinkhole etc.
rainfall output
Management Event (internal)		An event dealing with agency-specific administrative programs, such as public relations.
Structure Accident	Approved	An event dealing with a major accident or mishap such as collapse of a building or other man-made structure.
Simulation	Approved	An event dealing with simulation of various situations to provide experience or proficiency.
Earthquake	Approved	An event dealing with response to an earthquake.
Law Enforcement (internal)		An event dealing with the agency's law enforcement program. Includes non-fire infrared flights, surveillance, etc.
Hurricane/Typhoon	Approved	An event dealing with response to a hurricane or typhoon.
Rail Accident	Approved	An event dealing with an accident or mishap involving railway vehicles.
Marine Search/Rescue/Recovery	Approved	An event dealing with a search, and/or rescue, and/or recovery in a marine setting.
Prescribed Fire	Approved	An event, where a wildland fire originating from a planned ignition in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific objectives.
Public Service Organization Event	Approved	An event managed by local public service organizations (police, fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, or military).
Wildland Search/Rescue/Recovery	Approved	An event dealing with a search, and/or rescue, and/or recovery in a wildland setting.
Chemical		A compound or substance that has been purified or prepared.
other structures destroyed quantity	In Development
Activity		Actions necessary to conduct a future treatment or evaluate the success of a completed treatment that do not affect fuel or vegetative conditions, community adaptation, public safety, or public land access through their completion.
Treatment		Actions that affect fuel or vegetative conditions, community adaptation, public safety, or public land access through their completion.
Major Asset Replacement		A useful thing or quality to be put back after loss.
Assessment		The evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something.
Biological		A living organism.
Program Management		Function that oversees a group of individual projects linked together through a shared organizational goal or a common area of impact.
Communications		Verbal, graphical, or written information sharing with internal and external audiences.
Plant Source Development		Obtaining resources necessary to obtain, store, and grow out photosynthesizing living organisms.
Data Collection		The systematic approach to gathering and measuring information from a variety of sources to get a complete and accurate picture of an area of interest.
Camouflage		The disguising of sensitive sites by painting or covering them to make them blend in with their surroundings.
Closures		Not open
Volcano	Approved	An event dealing with response to volcanic activity.
Warnings		Give notice of hazard or caution.
Mechanical		Produced by machinery
Asset Replacement		A useful thing or quality to be put back after loss.
Asset Repair		A useful thing or quality to be fixed or mended.
Minor Repair		A useful thing or quality to be fixed or mended.
Document Preparation		Development and composition of written communication instruments.
Minor Asset Replacement		A useful thing or quality to be fixed or mended.
Compliance		Actions taken to conform with legal requirements.
wind speed
WIMS identification number
Year-Round Data Collection Station		A permanent 24-hour observing station.

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National Wildfire Coordinating Group

PMS 205

NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

Overview