Wilderness Fire Resource Advisor Training

1. This document is contained within the Fire Management Toolbox on Wilderness.net. Since other related resources found in this toolbox may be of interest, you can visit this toolbox by visiting the following URL: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=toolboxes&sec=fire. All toolboxes are products of the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center.

2. Wilderness Fire Resource Advisor Training Fire in Wilderness: Perspectives from a Hotshot Crew

3. Overview I. Our Perspectives and Background II. Consider This…. “How to help us meet your goals” III. MIST – What, When, Why, How? IV. Circumstances, Tactics, and Options

4. I. PERSPECTIVES

6. Hotshot Crews are Multi-tasking • Mission Statement: The primary mission of the IHCs is to provide a safe, professional, mobile, and highly skilled hand crew for all phases of wildland fire operations. • According to the IHC Ops guide, our program emphasis also includes: • DISASTER INCIDENT ASSISTANCE • RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES • TRAINING CADRE

7. Hotshot Crews are Flexible • Also per National IHC Ops Guide • Can break down into 3 squads for independent missions • Come equipped to minimum standards • Highly trained, efficient and motivated

8. What Wilderness Fires Mean to US

9. What MIST Means to US Most Intelligent Sensible Tactics

10. II. CONSIDER THIS… • Planning • Tools • Communication • Improvement

11. FUEL TYPES • species • health • loading and arrangement • TOPOGRAPHY • WEATHER PATTERNS • FIREREGIMES

12. WWW.fs.fed/database/feis/.html • Find information on how fire effects plants, animals, soils, air, and water. • Find typical fire regimes by fuel type

13. PRESCRIPTIVE GOALS • Low intensity • Stand Replacement • No Fire • Special Circumstances • Political Goals

14. KEEPING IT SMALL INITIAL ATTACK FREE REIGN TO NATURAL PROCESSES

15. PLANNING • IDENTIFY • HELISPOTS, MEDIVAC, SPIKE CAMPS • DIP SITES • LOCAL HAZARDS • MANAGEMENT AREAS

16. PLANNING • IDENTIFY • PROTECTION PRIORITIES • EVACUATION PLANS • BEST INGRESS / EGRESS • ACCESS ISSUES • LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS • CLOSURE PROCEDURES

17. PLANNING • REGULATIONSAND • POLICY • Don’t let them affect our safety • Can affect suppression tactics • Let’s work through procedures • beforehand

18. TOOLS INFORMATION PACKET • List MIST specific to your area • MAPS show topography and boundaries travel routes water features aerial photos? Delineate: your priority areas (prescriptive goals; what and why) hazards structures private property

19. TOOLS • OUR TOOLBOX • FIRE • LINE • MONITOR STATUS • WATER

20. COMMUNICATION • WRA / FIREFIGHTER / IMT COLLABORATION • Have a presence in the field • Clear and concise interchanges FOSTER EDUCATION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS Simple explanations go a long way Allows for learning and understanding

21. COMMUNICATION SECONDARY INFLUENCES • Team Influence • How committed are they to MIST • Local influence (WRA, District Ranger, local population, etc…) • Coordination btw the two is essential • The WRA and Team need to be on same page

22. COMMUNICATION • Constraints and framework that firefighters work under: SAFETY WILL ALWAYS BE NUMBER ONE Suppression is not the time for policy discussions

23. IMPROVEMENT WHO CARES ABOUT WILDERNESS? • “good” firefighters do (really!)

24. IMPROVEMENT TO MAKE A GOOD FIREFIGHTER: • ATTITUDE • EDUCATION

31. MIST – What, When, Why, How • Concept: minimum forces necessary to achieve given objectives • Goal: halt or delay fire spread within predetermined parameters with least possible impact • MIST is not separate from “regular” fire suppression, it is a mindset

32. Our Job on Wilderness Fires • Ensure the safety of ourselves, other fire personnel, and the public • Accomplish the incident objectives tasked to us in a safe, effective, and timely manner • Utilize MIST • Plan for rehabilitation efforts and implement as needed

33. Our Job on Wilderness Fires • Seek out and understand the unique and sensitive features of our assigned area. Know what they are, where they are, and what to do about them • Be good stewards of land we temporarily inhabit • Collaborate with WRA

34. Your Job When Working With Us • Know your Wilderness Area • Sensitive features: what are they, where are they, how do they effect us • Locate Natural Fuel Breaks/Holding Features • Locate Potential Camp Areas • Locate helispots

35. Your Job When Working With Us • Locate water sources • Identify hazards • Collaborate with Fire Management and suppression resources

36. Your attitude, communications skills, and willingness to collaborate/compromise will determine your success and happiness

37. Wilderness Suppression Tactics Wilderness Suppression Tactics • Safety is always our highest priority • All tactics based on Appropriate Management Response and Incident Objectives

38. Wilderness Suppression Tactics • 5 Elements of Wilderness Fire Suppression • Monitor • Burnout • Line Construction • Combination • Mop up

39. Monitor Monitor • Line Officer and Management Team decision • Know your area, YOU may be sought for technical advice • Based on fuels/weather/topography/ values at risk

40. Monitor • Long-term fire behavior predictions required • May only occur on some parts of fire

41. Burnout • Containment of a wildfire, or sections of a wildfire by igniting unburned fuels between holding features and the main fire • Utilize natural holding features • Rock scree • Timberline • Wet meadows • Rivers/lakes • Trails

42. Burnout • Construct line where necessary • Prep holding features as needed • Aerial ignition • LCES

43. Line Construction • Cold trail • Wet line • Trail improvement • Hand line • Machine • Combination

44. Coldtrail

45. Wet Line

46. Handline

47. Trail Improvement

48. Handline

49. Machine

50. Combination • Most widely used • Assess the fire area and fire behavior • Strategy: monitor where feasible, utilize natural holding features at every opportunity, burnout where appropriate, use water when it’s available, utilize trails, build hand line to connect the dots