NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

The portion of a chemical mixture or compound which furnishes oxygen for burning a fuel or propellant, creating an oxide.

A pace is defined as the average length of two natural steps (a count is made each time the same foot touches the ground).

Used to determine the aerobic capacity of fire suppression support personnel and assign physical fitness scores. The test consists of walking a specified distance, with or without a weighted pack, in a predetermined period of time, with altitude corrections. 

The fraction of a fuel bed occupied by fuels, or the fuel volume divided by bed volume.

Photographs from a lookout point, bearing azimuth and vertical angle scales, to assist in locating fires with a firefinder.

Anything intentionally dropped, or intended for dropping, from any aircraft by parachute, by other retarding devices, or by free fall.

Method of fire suppression in which fireline is constructed approximately parallel to, and just far enough from the fire edge to enable workers and equipment to work effectively, though the fireline may be shortened by cutting across unburned fingers. The intervening strip of unburned fuel is normally burned out as the control line proceeds but may be allowed to burn out unassisted where this occurs without undue delay or threat to the fireline. 

A search technique dividing the specific origin area into lanes that are parallel to the advancing fire progression for the purpose of a systematic examination.

Procedure by which the flow from two fire pumps is combined into one hose line.

Procedure by which the flow from two fire pumps is combined into a third pump.

An EMS professional who provides basic and advanced life support skills and interventions for patients within the EMS system.

A variable which can be measured quantitatively; sometimes, an arbitrary constant; associated with populations. One of the unknown values that determine a model.

Of, relating to or marked by paroxysms (the hypertension may be either sustained or paroxysmal).

Contribution of a specific source to human-caused risk, derived from the daily activity level assigned a risk source and its risk source ratio.

Contribution to human-caused risk made by a specific risk source; a function of the daily activity level assigned that risk source and the appropriate risk source ratio.

A burn where the outer layer of skin is burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) is damaged and is typically, a painful injury. Burns of this type cause reddening, blistering, and a mottled appearance.

The size of a piece of fuel, often expressed in terms of size classes.

Any liquid or solid particles. "Total suspended particulates", as used in air quality, are those particles suspended in or falling through the atmosphere. They generally range in size (diameter) from 0.1 to 100 micrometers.

Different areas of the fire usually determined by the predominant direction of fire spread and delineated from the fastest moving area (head) to the slowest moving area (base or tail). The most rapidly moving portion is designated the head of the fire, the adjoining portions of the perimeter at right angles to the head are known as the flanks, and the slowest moving portion is known as the rear or the base of the fire. 

Any person aboard an aircraft who does not perform the function of a flight crew member or qualified non-crew member.

A fire in the crowns of trees in which trees or groups of trees torch, ignited by the passing front of the fire. The torching trees reinforce the spread rate, but these fires are not basically different from surface fires.

Burning in patches to prepare sites for group planting or sowing or to form a barrier to subsequent fires.

A person or group of persons who carries out patrol actions.

To travel over a given route to prevent, detect, and suppress fires. Includes interaction with the public for wildland fire prevention and educational purposes.

To go back and forth vigilantly over a length of control line during and/or after construction to prevent breakovers, suppress spot fires, and extinguish overlooked hotspots.

Elapsed time from completion of original mopping up until the fire is declared to be extinguished.

Any light, mobile unit with limited pumping and water capacity.

The distribution of an aerially delivered retardant drop on the target area in terms of its length, width, and momentum (velocity x mass) as it approaches the ground. The latter determines the relative coverage level of the fire retardant on fuel within the pattern. 

A group of indicators in a close proximity, of the same or different categories, that exhibit consistent directional values.

Weight of passengers and/or cargo being carried by an aircraft.

That period of the fire season during which fires are expected to ignite most readily, to burn with greater than average intensity, and to create damages at an unacceptable level.

Highest monthly average of human-caused fires calculated for a protection unit.

The greatest 5-second average wind speed during the previous hour that exceeded 25 knots.

Direction at peak wind speed.

Maximum wind speed during the previous 60 minutes.

Passage of liquid through a porous body, as movement of water through soil.

A plant that lives for more than two growing seasons. For fire danger rating purposes, biennial plants are classed with perennial plants.

A chart, table, or graph provided by the manufacturer for use in determining an aspect of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft performance.

On-the-job performance enhancement is a result of online training. Performance oriented objectives or learning objectives for this training is developed, agreed to, and tested to ensure skill transfer. The purpose of learning objectives is to define the type of learning or performance outcomes that will occur at the conclusion of instruction and how learning will be assessed. Both objectives and performance outcomes should be written as precisely as possible in order to best determine whether they have been achieved. 

Any road, trail, or route that will allow firefighting forces to reach the perimeter of a wildland fire.

The date and time that the fire perimeter was collected (mapped).

Identifies if a related wildland fire perimeter polygon exists for the wildland fire location point feature.

Period of time when suppression crews, equipment, and aircraft are kept ready for deployment on short notice; usually employed when fire danger reaches a predetermined severity index.

A short term for "permanently frozen ground"; any part of the earth's crust, bedrock, or soil mantle that remains below 32° F (0° C) continuously for a number of years.

A system created to rank create, read, update, delete actions on business applications to ensure a system can only take those actions when they are considered an authoritative data source, which varies based on the state of the incident.

The authorization stage of create, read, update and delete actions in an application based on where the incident is occurring within the lifecyle.

A search technique dividing the specific origin area into lanes that are perpendicular to the advancing fire progression for the purpose of a systematic examination.

That equipment and clothing required to mitigate the risk of injury from or exposure to hazardous conditions encountered during the performance of duty. PPE includes but is not limited to: fire resistant clothing, hard hat, flight helmets, shroud, goggles, gloves, respirators, hearing protection, chainsaw chaps, and shelter. 

Relating to, or affecting a particular person: private, individual. (legal) Utilization of property or assets for non-commercial or individual purposes.