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Fire Not Scouted and Sized Up

 

1. Fire not scouted and sized up. A firefighter surrounded by green vegetation looks through binoculars in one direction. Far behind him is smoke from a wildland fire.

1. Fire not scouted and sized up.

Wildland firefighters scout and size up all incidents to gain situational awareness before beginning fire suppression. This Watch Out shows a firefighter too far away to effectively describe the specific fire behavior, fuel types, and weather conditions on the fire.

Read about all 18 Watch Out Situations.

Watch Out Situation #1 is an issue during initial attack and every time new resources arrive at a fire.

Before taking action on the fire, address the following:

  • Can you personally observe the fire, or should you use scouts?
    • Describe ways you can scout and size up a fire.
  • Do you know the location of the fire perimeter?
    • Discuss situations when the fire perimeter may not be obvious (unburned sections due to spot fires, etc.).
  • Do you know the direction of fire spread? When isn’t the direction of fire spread obvious (wind shifts, spot fires, etc.)?
  • Does the direction of fire spread increase risk?
    • Talk about situations where you may have to approach the head of the fire (hiking down from a helispot, approaching from an existing road, erratic winds, etc.).
  • Do you know the fuels and their condition? What kind of information will you assume from what you already know about fuel types (spot fires in fir, extreme fire potential in flashy fuels, etc.)?
  • What information can aerial resources provide about the fire?
  • Do topographic hazards exist? What can you assume from the kind of terrain near and within the fire perimeter (slope, chimneys, aspect, etc.)?
  • Does enough information exist to establish a plan of attack? When do you have enough information to begin fighting fire? What do you need to know?
  • Do other dangers exist? Have you talked about factors specific to the work area (hunters in the vicinity, drought conditions, snag patches, etc.)?

To reduce the risks:

  • Post lookouts until the fire is sized up and escape routes and safety zones are established.
  • Retreat if the situation is too complex. Review fires where you had to wait until your assigned area of the fire was scouted and sized up before you were allowed onto the fireline.

 

Category
Operational Engagement
References
10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118
10 and 18 Poster, PMS 110-18

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NWCG Training Catalog now on Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Date: April 25, 2023
Contact: NWCG Training  

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has migrated the training catalog from the NWCG website to the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP) as part of our ongoing efforts to streamline processes and improve efficiency. To facilitate this transition, the training catalog remains available on www.nwcg.gov through April 2024.

Starting May 2024, the training catalog will no longer be accessible on www.nwcg.gov. However, you can still access the complete training catalog by logging in as a guest to the WFLP.

References:

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

 

NWCG Website Migration

Date: April 01, 2024
Contact: NWCG Webmaster

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group is thrilled to announce a significant upgrade to https://www.nwcg.gov, involving a comprehensive redesign of over 7,000 web pages. This enhancement is focused on improving user experience. The migration to the new NWCG website will commence on April 2, 2024, starting at noon EST and is expected to take a few hours. 

During the migration period, as the www.nwcg.gov domain-name-location updates across the Internet, you might encounter either the current or the new site depending on your location. We request your patience during this transition. If you are not redirected to the new site by April 3, 2024, we recommend clearing your browser’s cache and refreshing the page.

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WFSTAR 2023 Year in Review and 2024 Core Component Module Packages Available

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: Joe Schindel 

The 2023 Fire Year in Review module and 2024 Core Component Module Packages for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) are now available on the NWCG website. The 2024 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

 

References:

WFSTAR 2023 Fire Year in Review module

WFSTAR 2024 Core Component Module Packages

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter

Date: March 6, 2024
Contact: NWCG

The NWCG Executive Board is privileged to share with you the 2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter. As we look into the future and navigate an incredibly complex and dynamic environment, we must remain focused on our mission while actively engaging in national conversations regarding numerous wildland fire initiatives. In 2024, we prioritize building upon our successes and committing to continuous improvement. Key priorities and considerations for this year include: 

  • Determining Core Workload
  • Ensuring Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) Success
  • Improving Efficiencies
  • Firefighter Health and Wellness
  • Engagement in National Conversations

Together we will continue to make significant strides in the challenging and vital work that lies ahead. 

 

References:

2024 NWCG Executive Board Annual Letter