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Week of Remembrance

2015 WOR: New Research on Safety Zones

Ribbon symbol for WOR next to Wildland Fire Lessons Learned logo.Week of Remembrance June 30-July 6, 2015

 

First, a Fire Behavior 101 refresher:  You can warm yourself around the sides of a campfire for quite some time; that’s radiant heat.  If you hold your hands over the top of the fire, you’ll get burned relatively quickly; that’s convective heat.

Basically, wind or slope can tip the flames over, so that the convective heat is no longer going straight up, but is now aimed more along the ground, sending the heat and hot gasses much further ahead.  This causes pre heating of the fuels, faster fire spread and greater fire intensities.  You’ll need a larger Safety Zone if that fire is coming towards you.

The current equation for safety zone size in the NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461 (page 8) is:

4 x Flame Height = Safe Separation Distance

To make estimations of flame height though, you either have to use past fire behavior observations or use your experience to guess what the fire may do in the future.  After a decade of research, Bret Butler, at the Missoula Technology and Development Center, suggests removing the uncertainty and guesswork that comes with estimating flame height by taking the general rule of thumb: Flame Height = 2 x Vegetation Height

…and substituting that Flame Height equation into the original IRPG equation, to give:

4 x 2 x Vegetation Height = Safe Separation Distance, which simplified is:

8 x Vegetation Height = Safe Separation Distance

 

But remember, that’s still for radiant heat only, on flat ground, with no wind. To take into account the convective heat from slope or wind, Butler’s research suggests that a “Slope Wind Factor” is needed in the equation:

8 x Vegetation Height x Slope Wind Factor = Safe Separation Distance

 

But what is the Slope Wind Factor? Current research is indicating that the Slope Wind Factor is between 1 and 10; with Butler arguing it may be closer to between 1 and 5. Butler’s ongoing research is focused on answering that question by gathering sensor data on fires, running computer simulations, and refining the models…Stay tuned.

In the meantime, utilize the calculations on page 8 of your IRPG to help you determine a bare minimum size for your safety zone with the understanding that slope and wind need to be considered in your decision making.

But remember, a safety zone is only good if you can get there…join us tomorrow for some thoughts on Escape Routes.

The “Take 5@2” safety messages are a cooperative project of 6 Minutes for Safety, the Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR), NIFC External Affairs, the NWCG Leadership Committee, the NWCG Risk Management Committee, and the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center.

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NWCG Latest Announcements

2025-2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign: "Leadership Levels" Now Available

Date: October 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Leadership Committee

NWCG is excited to announce the release of the Leadership Committee’s 2025–2026 Leadership Campaign, themed “Leadership Levels.” This annual initiative offers all students of leadership and wildland fire management an opportunity to engage with essential leadership skills and knowledge needed to lead effectively in dynamic environments.

The campaign is structured into four quarters and may be completed at any time between October 1, 2025 -December 31, 2026. Leadership levels will be released quarterly.

Quarter One materials are now available on the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program website and focus on Leadership Level 1, Follower (Self-Leadership).

References:

2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign - Leadership Levels

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Leadership Committee

Updated! L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led) Course

Date: October 3, 2024
Questions? Please contact:
Leadership Committee

NWCG is pleased to announce the updated L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led) course is now available. L-280 is intended for operational personnel at the Firefighter Type 1 level, and for individuals pursuing Leadership Level 2, New Leader. 

This instructor-led course is a primer on leadership and the second formal course in the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program. It helps emerging leaders build the confidence, skills, and mindset needed to lead effectively in high-risk environments. 

For more information about leadership development and available courses, visit the Leadership Committee Web Portal.

References:

L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led)

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use

Date: Sept 26, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee 

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use. This advisory recommends all pre-2006 fire shelters should be removed from service by January 1, 2026.

This advisory recommends firefighters and fire managers to:

  • Inspect fire shelters immediately
  • Replace and destroy any pre-2006 shelters (identified by white or pink insert label)
  • Order replacements as needed

For further details, please refer to the complete advisory. 

References:

Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use

NWCG Fire Inspection Flowchart, PMS 411-1

NWCG Alerts

NEW! S-219, Firing Operations (Blended) Now Available

Date: Sept 11, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fuels Management Committee 

The S-219, Firing Operations (Blended) course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this training supports individuals working towards Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB) incident qualifications.

This blended course combines online and instructor-led training to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of the FIRB, as described in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

S-219, Firing Operations (Blended)

NWCG Firing Boss, Single Resource Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal