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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
partial risk FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved Contribution of a specific source to human-caused risk, derived from the daily activity level assigned a risk source and its risk source ratio.
partial risk factor FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved 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.
partial-thickness burn SRC Safety/Risk Management Committee Approved 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.
particle size IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved The size of a piece of fuel, often expressed in terms of size classes.
particulate matter FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved 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.
parts of a fire PMC Fire Planning Management Committee, FESC Fire Environment Subcommittee Approved 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. 
passenger AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Any person aboard an aircraft who does not perform the function of a flight crew member or qualified non-crew member.
passive crown fire FASC Fire Analysis Subcommittee Approved 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.
patch burning FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Burning in patches to prepare sites for group planting or sowing or to form a barrier to subsequent fires.
patrol (person) PIC Public Information Management Committee, EPSC Education & Prevention Subcommittee Approved A person or group of persons who carries out patrol actions.
patrol (prevention) PIC Public Information Management Committee, EPSC Education & Prevention Subcommittee Approved To travel over a given route to prevent, detect, and suppress fires. Includes interaction with the public for wildland fire prevention and educational purposes.
patrol [action] PIC Public Information Management Committee, EPSC Education & Prevention Subcommittee Approved 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.
patrol time IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved Elapsed time from completion of original mopping up until the fire is declared to be extinguished.
patrol unit IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Archived Any light, mobile unit with limited pumping and water capacity.
pattern ASSC Aerial Supervision Subcommittee Approved 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. 
pattern clusters FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved A group of indicators in a close proximity, of the same or different categories, that exhibit consistent directional values.
payload AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Weight of passengers and/or cargo being carried by an aircraft.
peak fire season PMC Fire Planning Management Committee, FESC Fire Environment Subcommittee Approved 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.
peak monthly average FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved Highest monthly average of human-caused fires calculated for a protection unit.
peak wind IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved The greatest 5-second average wind speed during the previous hour that exceeded 25 knots.
peak wind direction FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved Direction at peak wind speed.
peak wind speed FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved Maximum wind speed during the previous 60 minutes.
percolation IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Passage of liquid through a porous body, as movement of water through soil.
perennial plant FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved A plant that lives for more than two growing seasons. For fire danger rating purposes, biennial plants are classed with perennial plants.
performance chart AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved A chart, table, or graph provided by the manufacturer for use in determining an aspect of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft performance.
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