NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

The full name of the organization found on official documents or web sites.

The type of organizational unit within the interagency incident management community represented by the Unit ID.

Pertaining to, or caused by mountains.

Photograph obtained from the orthogonal (i.e., horizontal) projection of a correctly oriented stereoscopic model formed by two overlapping aerial photographs; an orthophoto is free of tilt and relief displacements.

Aerial photographs corrected to scale such that geographic measurements may be taken directly from prints. They may contain graphically emphasized geographic features and may be provided with overlays of such features as: water systems, facility location, etc. 

Of, relating to, or caused by erect posture.

A sighting device used by lookouts to determine the horizontal bearing and sometimes the vertical angle of a fire from a lookout.

A category or classification to group data points that doent fit neatly into predefined or standard categories, often used for values or entries that are uncommon or don't conform to the expected set of categories.

Groups or activities associated with the fire cause or origin that don't fit the named categories.

Refers to wildfire ignitions not classified under common cause categories. 

Surge of current, leading to equipment damage, power outages, and potential safety hazards.

Land clearning not covered in a traditional prescribed burn or field/ag burn.

A constructed building not designed for continuous human occupancy, such as barns, commercial buildings, etc.

The total number of structures, other than residences, destroyed as a result of a fire.

The total number of structures, other than residences, threatened by the fire.

Courses defined as containing supplemental knowledge and skills not required for safe and tactical operations success on a wildfire.

Entities repsonsible for providing essential services like water, sanitation, telecommunications, renewable energy, transporation or waste management.

Inflammation of the ear.

All observable combustion has ceased and there is no risk of the fire again becoming active and requiring additional control or management actions.

An event where resources are mobilized to a Wildfire (WF) Event within their corresponding dispatch center's response area (boundary). When resources arrive on scene, it is determined the ignition is not within their area of response, but in fact plots within an adjacent dispatch center's response area (boundary).

Resources assigned to an incident but unable to respond for mechanical, rest, or personal reasons.

Firefighting assistance given to adjacent areas and nearby communities by contract or other agreement that covers conditions and payment for assistance rendered and services performed. Contrasted to mutual aid, in which neighboring firefighting organizations assist each other without charge. 

External diameter of a cylinder or tube, conductor, or coupling as distinguished from the internal diameter.

Drugs that can be purchased without a prescription.

An aircraft is considered “overdue” when it fails to arrive within 30 minutes past the estimated time of arrival (ETA) and cannot be located.

Fire department procedure of inspecting premises after extinguishment of fire, to insure that fire is completely out and unable to rekindle before returning control to owner or occupants.

Personnel assigned to supervisory positions, including incident commander, command staff, general staff, branch directors, supervisors, unit leaders, managers and staff.

A situation that taxes an operational system to the limit of its functional capabilities. Such as too many fires for an individual unit to handle (fire overload), or too many orders for an individual dispatch center to process (dispatch overload).

Gross vehicle weight (GVW) in excess of the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) specified by the chassis manufacturer. Also an excess of weight over the gross vehicle axle weight rating (GAWR) specified by the chassis manufacture.

A fire that persists through the winter months until the beginning of fire season.

A party that provides a contract resource for an incident.

Process during which oxygen combines with another substance.

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.