JACKSON, Wyo. — A lot of planning, tactics and resources go into fighting a wildland fire. And with fire season seemingly starting earlier each year and lasting longer, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) firefighting strategies are a changing and complex matter.
USFS states that once a fire is spotted, the proper agency is notified by dispatch. From there, the agency will determine what resources are needed: personnel, equipment, vehicles and aircraft. Depending on the level of fire hazard, the size and makeup of resources will be decided. Wildland fire professionals determine fire hazard by taking into account weather, terrain, fire size and fuels (live and dead vegetation and the potential to burn).
“The higher the hazard, the more resources are called up,” USFS says on its website. “This could be as small as a single fire engine and its crew. But if the hazards are greater, then multiple engines, aircraft and specialized firefighting crews — overland firefighters called hotshots, helitack crews that rappel out of helicopters to a fire, or skydiving firefighters known as smoke jumpers — can be assembled and deployed.”
Direct vs. indirect attack
The team that makes an initial response to a wildfire will typically give it a name based on its geographic location. The first firefighters on scene will attack the fire as directly as possible, USFS says. Direct extinguishment tactics include getting close to the blaze and attempting to put it out or keeping it small until more resources can arrive. That group will also establish an anchor point, which is a “relatively safe spot” unlikely to burn where operations and incident command are based.
Six Rivers National Forest Acting Fire Management Officer Nick Bunch told USFS: “For us to be successful in initial attack we prepare through intensive pre-planning which helps establish priorities and leads to quick and effective decisions.”
If a direct attack is too dangerous for the response team to accomplish, an indirect confinement response will begin, per USFS. Typical reasons for abandoning a direct attack include steep terrain, flame length and rate of spread. Strategies used for indirect responses come from the understanding that the fire will likely need to be fought over a longer period of time. “When engaging in prolonged fire response, we look at the long-term potential of a fire and determine a specific strategy for how to effectively engage that fire,” Bunch said.
Strategies vs. tactics
USFS notes that the drawn-out responses of an indirect attack require high-level strategies that allow fire managers to prioritize fire engagement and assess any risks to things that are valued — homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and recreational and aesthetic resources. Those risks will be elevated when factors are present that could make a fire more aggressive, such as steep canyons, high winds and dry vegetation. As a fire becomes established, strategies evolve to take into account protection priorities and firefighting resources.
Tactics are on-the-ground actions taken by personnel to quell the fire. To fight a fire, it must be deprived of two critical elements: heat and fuel. Active burns are cooled with water or retardant, and soil can be shoveled onto a burn to bring the temperature down. Reducing fuels involves clearing underbrush and trees to create containment lines. Any area with diminished fuels can be tied into containment lines; things like rivers, roads and ridgelines.
After terrain, weather and fire behavior are taken into account, incident commanders could implement a strategy of creating low-intensity fire around the wildfire to slow it down or stop it from advancing. Tactical firing techniques include starting low-intensity fires in strategic locations to corral a wildfire, as well as using drones to drop devices that start a fire in locations that are difficult to reach.
USFS notes that wildfires are dynamic and can change daily or hourly based on weather and terrain. Because of this, strategies and tactics are constantly being developed for the duration of the firefighting response.
