NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Assembly of airfoils (rotor blades), together with a hub and attachments, that rotates about an axis to provide lift and/or thrust on a helicopter.

Air turbulence occurring under and around the main rotor of an operating helicopter.

The main rotor arc in feet and inches (meters). Used for planning helispot clearance.

The accumulation of living and dead ground and understory vegetation, especially grasses, forest litter, and draped dead needles, sometimes with addition of underbrush such as palmetto, gallberry, and wax myrtle. Most often used for southern pine types.

Reduction of fire hazard in rough, usually by prescribed burning.

Boles, stems, or limbs of woody material; that portion of the dead wildland fuel which is roughly cylindrical in shape.

Rapid advance of the head of a fire, characterized by a marked transition in fireline intensity and rate of spread with respect to that noted before and after the advance.

Behavior of a fire spreading rapidly with a well defined head.

Pipe or line is damaged, leading to the unintended release of gas or oil.

Any area wherein residences and other developments are scattered and intermingled with forest, range, or farm land and native vegetation or cultivated crops.

An organization established to provide fire protection to a designated geographic area outside of areas under municipal fire protection. Usually has some taxing authority and officials may be appointed or elected.

Fire protection and firefighting problems that are outside of areas under municipal fire prevention and building regulations and that are usually remote from public water supplies.

Depression or pass in a ridgeline.

A form and process, used by wildland firefighting agencies, for reporting and resolving incidents relating to firefighter safety. The information collected is used to determine long-term trends and problem areas within the wildland fire industry.

A safety alert addressing wildland fire safety information that isn't related to imminent or potential threats of injury.

A warning or alert concerning critical information relating to firefighter safety, that is distributed via email through an NWCG mail server. There are three types of alerts: Safety Warning, Safety Advisory, and Safety Bulletin.

A safety briefing emphasizes key safety concerns on the incident and is presented at each briefing session. The safety briefing should contain information to alert incident personnel of potential risk/hazard considered to be most critical.

A safety alert containing a factual confirmation of a serious wildland fire accident, incident or fatality.

An obstruction-free circle around the (helicopter) landing pad.

A time-sensitive alert to the wildland fire community addressing wildland fire safety hazards that pose an imminent threat, or have potential to pose a threat, to life or property.  Red hash-marked bordered stationary will be associated with this type of alert.

An area cleared of flammable materials used for escape in the event the line is outflanked or in case a spot fire causes fuels outside the control line to render the line unsafe. In firing operations, crews progress so as to maintain a safety zone close at hand allowing the fuels inside the control line to be consumed before going ahead. Safety zones may also be constructed as integral parts of fuel breaks; they are greatly enlarged areas which can be used with relative safety by firefighters and their equipment in the event of blowup in the vicinity. 

Dropping by an airtanker of its entire load of fire retardant at one time.

Total retardant or water load dropped all at once. Usually done to knock down a hotspot.

Part of a population; that portion of the population that is measured.

The number of items or observations in a sample; usually denoted by lower case letter n.

A tactical decision game that employs a three-dimensional terrain model made from sand and various props to provide a visual representation of the situation described in the tactical decision game.

Synchronous distance learning where students participate individually or with small groups of other students at the same physical location.  An instructor who is qualified as a Unit Instructor (or higher) is physically available to interact with each student/group. This delivery configuration allows for inclusion of hands-on training. Note that the use of the word 'Satellite' here does not refer to the means of providing internet connectivity.

The set of responsibilities and ethical considerations that define the extent or limits of the care provider within the current standards of practice.

A predefined set of skills, interventions or other activities that an EMS professional is legally authorized to perform when necessary, usually set by state law or regulation and local medical direction.

Average heights of foliage browning or bole blackening caused by a fire.

An unfinished preliminary control line hastily established or constructed as an emergency measure to check the spread of fire.

The process of agitating foam solution and air within a confined space (usually a hose) that produces tiny, uniform bubbles - the length and type of hose determine the amount of scrubbing and, therefore, foam quality.

A breeze (wind) blowing inland from the sea generally during daytime hours.

Pressure value obtained by the theoretical reduction or increase of station pressure to sea level. The average atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi.

An event, usually managed by organizatons 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.

One of four designations of seasonal plant development used in the 1988 version of NFDRS.

Historically, the average number of human-caused fires occurring on a protection unit per month during the established fire season.

Objective ranking of protection units within an administrative group based on the number of human-caused fires for at least the past five years.

The secondary effects of fire such as tree regeneration, plant succession, and changes in site productivity. Although second order fire effects are dependent, in part, on first order fire effects, they also involve interaction with many other non-fire variables. 

A burn in which the skin is blistered.

Pilot who is designated to be second-in-command of an aircraft during flight time.

Any fireline constructed at a distance from the fire perimeter concurrently with or after a line already constructed on or near to the perimeter of the fire. Generally constructed as an insurance measure in case the fire escapes control by the primary line. 

A lookout point intermittently used to supplement the visible area coverage of the primary lookout system when required by fire danger, poor visibility, or other factors.

The person who occupies such a station.

Individual’s secondary phone.

Station at which minimum weather measurements are taken to compute ratings of burning conditions; provides supplementary information on weather experience.

The ICS organizational level having responsibility for a major functional area of incident management (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration).

An area of land one mile square and containing 640 acres, more or less, which is one of 36 parts of a township.

Observers are posted at one or more strategic locations in the proximity of a fire to detect and warn fire personnel of pending critical weather changes that might significantly affect the fire.