Editing The Burning Line


==Forest Fires (CR 6)== 
''(from the [http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/wildernessAndEnvironment.html SRD])''

Most campfire sparks ignite nothing, but if conditions are dry, winds are strong, or the forest floor is dried out and flammable, a forest fire can result. Lightning strikes often set trees afire and start forest fires in this way. Whatever the cause of the fire, travelers can get caught in the conflagration.

A forest fire can be spotted from as far away as 2d6×100 feet by a character who makes a Spot check, treating the fire as a Colossal creature (reducing the DC by 16). If all characters fail their Spot checks, the fire moves closer to them. They automatically see it when it closes to half the original distance.

Characters who are blinded or otherwise unable to make Spot checks can feel the heat of the fire (and thus automatically “spot” it) when it is 100 feet away.

The leading edge of a fire (the downwind side) can advance faster than a human can run (assume 120 feet per round for winds of moderate strength). Once a particular portion of the forest is ablaze, it remains so for 2d4×10 minutes before dying to a smoking smolder. Characters overtaken by a forest fire may find the leading edge of the fire advancing away from them faster than they can keep up, trapping them deeper and deeper in its grasp.

Within the bounds of a forest fire, a character faces three dangers: heat damage, catching on fire, and smoke inhalation.

*: '''Heat Damage''': Getting caught within a forest fire is even worse than being exposed to extreme heat (see Heat Dangers). Breathing the air causes a character to take 1d6 points of damage per round (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 rounds (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. A character who holds his breath can avoid the lethal damage, but not the nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a –4 penalty on their saving throws. In addition, those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a heat metal spell.
:* '''Catching on Fire''': Characters engulfed in a forest fire are at risk of catching on fire when the leading edge of the fire overtakes them, and are then at risk once per minute thereafter (see Catching on Fire).
:* '''Smoke Inhalation''': Forest fires naturally produce a great deal of smoke. A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. Also, smoke obscures vision, providing concealment to characters within it.


===Heat Dangers===
Heat deals nonlethal damage that cannot be recovered until the character gets cooled off (reaches shade, survives until nightfall, gets doused in water, is targeted by endure elements, and so forth). Once rendered unconscious through the accumulation of nonlethal damage, the character begins to take lethal damage at the same rate.

A character in very hot conditions (above 90° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill description). Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per hour).

In severe heat (above 110° F), a character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per each 10-minute period).

A character who takes any nonlethal damage from heat exposure now suffers from heatstroke and is fatigued. These penalties end when the character recovers the nonlethal damage she took from the heat.

Extreme heat (air temperature over 140° F, fire, boiling water, lava) deals lethal damage. Breathing air in these temperatures deals 1d6 points of damage per minute (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 minutes (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a –4 penalty on their saves. In addition, those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a heat metal spell.

Boiling water deals 1d6 points of scalding damage, unless the character is fully immersed, in which case it deals 10d6 points of damage per round of exposure.


===Catching on Fire===
Characters exposed to burning oil, bonfires, and noninstantaneous magic fires might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Spells with an instantaneous duration don’t normally set a character on fire, since the heat and flame from these come and go in a flash.

Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid this fate. If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once he succeeds on his saving throw, he’s no longer on fire.)

A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus.

Those unlucky enough to have their clothes or equipment catch fire must make DC 15 Reflex saves for each item. Flammable items that fail take the same amount of damage as the character.


===Smoke Effects===
A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.

Smoke obscures vision, giving concealment (20% miss chance) to characters within it.



==Definitions of Fires==
Wildfires can move at tremendous speeds, up to 40 miles (60 km) in a single day, consuming up to 1,000 acres (1.5625 mi²) per hour. Dense clouds of burning embers push relentlessly ahead of the flames crossing firebreaks without pause. The powerful updraft caused by a large wildfire will draw in air from surrounding areas. These self-generated winds can lead to a phenomenon known as a firestorm.

A fire's front line will take on the characteristic shape of a pear; the major axis being aligned with the wind. The speed of the fire is estimated to be 3% to 8% of the speed of the wind, depending on the conditions (density and type of vegetation, slope). Other shape characteristics could be an elliptical shape when the ground is flat and the vegetation is homogeneous.

*  "crawling" fire: the fire spreads via low level vegetation (e.g., bushes)
*  "crown" fire: a fire that "crowns" (spreads to the top branches of trees) can spread at an incredible pace through the top of a forest. Crown fires can be extremely dangerous to all inhabitants underneath, as they may spread faster than they can be outrun, particularly on windy days. 
*  "jumping" or "spotting" fire: burning branches and leaves are carried by the wind and start distant fires; the fire can thus "jump" over a road, river, or even a firebreak.


==glossary of wildland fire terms==

==A==
*'''Aerial canopy''': Fuel type comprised of trees having few low branches, making it less susceptible to ignition by low-intensity fires.
*'''Aerial firefighting''' (or '''''air attack'''''): Use of aircraft in support of ground resources to combat wildfires, often most effective in ''initial attack'' in light fuels.
*'''Air drop''': Delivery of supplies or retardant from the air. Supplies can be dropped by parachute. Retardant is dropped in a single "salvo" or one or more "trails", the size of which is determined by the wind and the volume, speed and altitude of the airtanker (usually no less than 200 feet above the drop zone).
*'''Air operations''': Group tasked with coordinating aerial-based observation, supply, rescue and suppression at a [[wildfire]].
*'''Air Tactical Group Supervisor or Air Attack''': Coordinates air resources for attack of a fire.
*'''Airtanker''': Fixed-wing aircraft certified by [[FAA]] as being capable of transport and delivery of 600 to 3,0000 gallons of water or other liquid or powder fire retardants. Formerly referred to as "borate bombers" before borate-based retardants became less desirable. Often accompanied by a ''spotter'' plane.
*'''Anchor point''': An advantageous location, usually a barrier to fire spread, from which to start constructing a ''fireline''. The anchor point is used to minimize the chance of being ''flanked'' (or outflanked) by the fire while the line is being constructed.

==B==
*'''Backburn''': Precautionary fire set downwind of main fire for controlled fuel clearing by "backing" it into the main fire, similar to ''burnout'', below, which occurs adjacent to control line.
*'''Backfire''': A fire set along the inner edge of a fireline to consume the fuel in the path of a wildfire and/or change the direction or force of the fire’s convection column.
*'''[[Bambi bucket]]'''&reg;: collapsible bucket for lifting and moving water or other fire retardant with a [[helicopter]]. (Note: The name was in use many years before the trademark owner claimed it in 1983.)
*'''Barrier''': Any obstruction to the spread of fire. Typically an area or strip devoid of combustible fuel.
*'''Base''': (1) staging and/or command center location for fire operations; (2) starting location of a fire; (3) base camp: location for eating, sleeping, etc., near staging or command center.
*'''Berm''': Soil heaped on the downhill side of a traversing fireline below a fire, to trap rolling firebrands.
*'''Blackline''': A condition where no combustible fuels remain between the fireline and the main fire.
*'''Blowup''': Sudden increase in fireline intensity or rate of spread of a fire sufficient to preclude direct control or to upset existing suppression plans. Often accompanied by violent convection and may have other characteristics of a firestorm.
*'''Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC)''':  The former name of the National Interagency Fire Center (see below); often pronounced as "biff-see".
*'''Booster hose, booster pump, booster reel''': small solid hose on a reel connected to a small pump fitted to a water tank on a vehicle.  Booster pump also refers to pump in a relay series for pumping  uphill beyond the lift of the previous pump.
*'''Brush blade''': Rake attachment for cutting or ripping brush and roots out of a fireline.
*'''Brush hook''': Cutting tool used to clear brush, longer than a machete, usually with a heavy, solid,curved blade bolted to the end of an arm's-length handle.
*'''Brush truck''': Small fire truck outfitted for wildland fire.  Also called a "Type 6 Engine."
*'''Bump up''': To move to another location.  Can refer to anything from moving to another location on a fireline, to an entire crew moving to another fire.  "Bump back" means to return to your previous location. In the "bump" system of fireline construction, each firefighter works on a small piece of fireline with his or her tool, perhaps slowly walking as the line progresses, until a completed portion of line is encountered.  Then the call to "bump up!" is heard, and everyone ahead of the caller skips ahead one or more positions, leaving the unfinished fireline for those coming up behind.
*'''Burning index''': relative measure of fire-control difficulty; doubling the index means twice the effort may be needed to control the fire (e.g., wind shift, heavier fuel load, etc).
*'''Burn out''': Setting fire inside a control line to consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line.
*'''Burning period''': The part of each 24-hour period when fires spread most rapidly; typically from 10:00 AM to sundown.
*'''Bushfire''': A bushfire is a [[wildfire]] that occurs in the [[forest]]s, [[scrubland|scrub]]s, [[woodland]]s or [[grassland]]s of [[Australia]] or [[New Zealand]].

==C==
*'''Closed area''': An area in which specified activities or entry are temporarily restricted to reduce risk of human-caused fires.
*'''Closure''': Legal restriction, but not necessarily elimination, of specified activities such as smoking, camping, or entry that might cause fires in a given area.
*'''Cold trailing''': A method of controlling a partly dead fire edge by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hand for heat to detect any fire, digging out every live spot, and trenching any live edge.
*'''Complex''': Two or more individual incidents located in the same general area which are assigned to a single incident commander or unified command.
*'''Confine a fire''': The least aggressive wildfire suppression strategy which can be expected to keep the fire within established boundaries of constructed firelines under prevailing conditions.
*'''Contain a fire''': A moderately aggressive wildfire suppression strategy which can be expected to keep the fire within established boundaries of constructed firelines under prevailing conditions.
*'''Control line''': An inclusive term for all constructed or natural barriers and treated (retardant) fire edges used to control a fire.
*'''Controlled burn''': See Prescribed Burn.
*'''Coyote tactics''': A progressive line construction duty involving self-sufficient crews which build fireline until the end of the operational period, remain at or near the point while off duty (in a spike camp), and begin building fireline again the next operational period where they left off.
*'''Creeping fire''': Fire burning with a low flame and spreading slowly.
*'''Crown fire''': A fire that advances from top to top of trees or shrubs more or less independent of a surface fire. Crown fires are sometimes classed as running or dependent to distinguish the degree of independence from the surface fire.
*'''Crown out''': A fire that raises from ground into the tree crowns and advances from treetop to treetop. To intermittently ignite tree crowns as a surface fire advances.
==D==
*'''Dead Man Zone''': Unburnt areas around edges of brush fire.
*'''Demob''': Demobilization, or a crew being removed from working a fire.
*'''Direct Attack''': Any treatment applied directly to burning fuel such as wetting, smothering, or chemically quenching the fire or by physically separating the burning from unburned fuel.
*'''Dozer line''': Fireline constructed by the front blade of a [[bulldozer]] or any tracked vehicle with a front mounted blade used for exposing mineral soil.  Also "catline."
*'''Draft (water)|Drafting''': using a suction pump to lift water from below the pump, using a semi-rigid suction hose, typically to fill a portable reservoir that has other suction pumps (to relay) or siphon hoses running downhill to their nozzles. 
*'''Driptorch|Drip torch''': hand-carried fire-starting device filled with flammable liquid that is poured across a flaming wick, dropping flaming liquid onto the fuels to be burned.
*'''Duff''': Layer of decaying forest litter consisting of organics such as needles, leaves, plant and tree materials covering the mineral soil.  Duff can smolder for days after a fire.  Extinguishing smoldering duff is key to successful mopup operations.

==E==
*'''Engine''': Any ground vehicle providing specified levels of pumping, water, and hose capacity but with less than the specified level of personnel.
*'''Engine crew''': A number of personnel trained and supervised to respond to incidents using an engine.  Typically much smaller than a hand crew.
*'''Escape fire''': An intentional fire ignited by a fire crew, usually in a [[grassland]] environment, to escape a dangerous situation.  
*'''Escaped fire''': A fire, which has exceeded or is expected to exceed initial attack capabilities or prescription.
*'''Extended attack''': Situation in which a fire cannot be controlled by initial attack resources within a reasonable period of time. Committing additional resources within 24 hours after commencing suppression action will usually control the fire.

==F==
*'''Fire behavior''': The manner in which a fire reacts to the influences of fuel, weather, and topography.
*'''Fire camp''': Temporary camp established at large fires to provide food, rest, and other necessities to fire crews.
*'''Firebreak''': A natural or constructed barrier used to stop or check fires that may occur, or to provide a control line from which to work.
*'''Fire edge''': The boundary of a fire at a given moment.
*'''Fireline''': The part of a control line that is scraped or dug to mineral soil. Also called fire trail.  More generally, working a fire is called being "on the fireline."  May also refer to a "wet line" where water has been used to create a burn boundary in light fuels such as grass.
*'''Fireline handbook''': A small red booklet carried by U.S. firefighters on the firelines, as a quick reference on various firefighting topics.
*'''Fire retardant''': Any substance (except plain water) that by chemical or physical actions reduces flammability of fuels or slows their rate of combustion.  See ''retardant slurry'', ''AFFF'', and ''Foam'' as examples.
*'''Fire Lookout''': A person that keeps an eye for possible fire starts and conditions.  They can work in a [[Fire Lookout Tower]] or perform the duty as a role for a fire crew on the fireline.
*'''Fire lookout tower''': A structure located at a high vantage point to house and protect the person performing the duties of a Fire Lookout.
*'''Fire shelter''': An aluminized tent offering protection by means of reflecting radiant heat and providing a volume of breathable air in a fire entrapment situation. Carried as a safety tool, fire shelters should only be used in life threatening situations, as a last resort, as severe burns or asphyxiation often result.
*'''Fire shirt''': Distinctive yellow shirts made of [[Nomex]] or other lightweight materials of low combustibility, used as uniform [[personal protective equipment|PPE]] of wildland firefighters.
*'''Firestorm''': Extreme fire behavior indicated by widespread in-drafts and a tall column of smoke and flame, where added air increases fire intensity, creating runaway fire growth.
*'''Fire weather''': weather conditions that affect fire vulnerability, fire behavior and suppression.
*'''Flanks of a fire''': The parts of a fire’s spread perimeter that are roughly parallel to the main direction of spread.
*'''Flare-up''': Any sudden acceleration in rate of spread or intensification of the fire. Unlike blowup, a flare-up is of relatively short duration and does not radically change existing control plans.
*'''Flash fuels''': Fuels such as grass, leaves, draped pine needles, fern, tree moss and some kinds of slash, which ignite readily and are consumed rapidly when dry.
*'''Fuelbreak''': A natural or manmade change in fuel characteristics which affects fire behavior so that fires burning into them can be more readily controlled.
*'''Fuel load''': the mass of combustible materials available for a fire usually expressed as weight of fuel per unit area (e.g., 20 tons per acre).
*'''Fuel moisture''': Percent water content of vegetation, an important factor in rate of spread, ranging from dead-fuel and fine-fuel moisture (FFM), of 10 percent or less, to live-fuel moisture (LFM), of 60 percent or more. FFM can be estimated by weighing calibrated wood sticks.
*'''Fuel type''': An identifiable association of fuel elements of distinctive species, form, size, arrangement, or other characteristics that will cause a predictable rate of spread or resistance to control under specified weather conditions.

==G==
*'''Ground fire''': Fire that consumes the organic material beneath the surface litter ground, such as peat fire.
==H==
*'''Hand crew''': A number of individuals that have been organized and trained and are supervised principally for operational assignments on an incident.  In the United States, a typical hand crew is 20 in number.
*'''Head of a fire''': The most rapidly spreading portion of a fire’s perimeter, usually to the leeward or up slope.
*'''Heavy fuels''': Fuels of large diameter such as snags, logs, large limb wood, which ignite and are consumed more slowly than flash fuels.
*'''Helispot''': A natural or improved takeoff and landing area intended for temporary or occasional helicopter use, typically in remote areas without other access.
*'''Helitack''': A fire crew trained to use helicopters for initial attack, and to support large fires through bucket drops and the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies.
*'''Hot spot''': A particularly active part of a fire.
*'''Hotshot crew''': Intensively trained fire crew used primarily in hand line construction, and organized primarily to travel long distances from fire to fire as needed rather than serving only one geographic location.

==I==
*'''Incident Command System (ICS)''':  System first developed to provide a command structure to manage large wildfires in the United States, now widely used by many emergency management agencies.
*'''Indian pump''': Water vessel carried on one's back, either a rigid can or collapsible bag, with a hose and telescoping squirt pump.  Contains 5 US gal, and is used on hot spots and during mop up.  Also called ''bladder bag'' (if collapsible), ''piss pump'', or ''Fedco''.
*'''Indirect attack''': A method of suppression in which the control line is located some considerable distance away from the fire’s active edge. Generally done in the case of a fast-spreading or high-intensity fire and to utilize natural or constructed firebreaks fuel breaks and favorable breaks in the topography. The intervening fuel is usually backfired; but occasionally the main fire is allowed to burn to the line, depending on conditions.
*'''Infrared (IR) detector''': A heat detection system used for fire detection, mapping, and hotspot identification.
*'''Initial attack''': The actions taken by the first resources to arrive at a wildfire to protect lives and property, and prevent further extension of the fire.
*'''Interface zone''': Where urban firefighting meets wildland firefighting.  Structures at the edges of wildlands are threatened and require skills and equipment of both disciplines.

==K==
*'''Knock down''': To reduce the flame or heat on the more vigorously burning parts of a fire edge.

==L==
*'''Fuel ladder|Ladder fuels''': Flammable vegetation that helps a ground fire move into the canopy.
*'''LCES:''' Firefighter safety mnemonic for Lookouts, Communications, Escape routes, Safe zones.
*'''Lead plane''': Aircraft with pilot used to make trial runs over the target area to check wind, smoke conditions, topography and to lead air tankers to targets and supervise their drops.
*'''Let-burn policy:''' Administrative decision to defer fire suppression, perhaps because of wilderness and long-term forest conservation considerations.
*'''Light 'em, fight 'em''':  Derogatory term for wildland crew with a reputation for igniting its prescribed burns carelessly.
*'''Line firing''':
*'''Litter:''' Surface buildup of leaves and twigs.
*'''Logging slash''' or '''logging debris:'''
*'''Longline:''' Helicopter arrangement for lowering external loads into areas not available for landing.
*'''Lookouts:''' (1) Safety person positioned to monitor the location and behavior of a fire, ready to sigal a crew to escape; (2) '''[[Fire lookout tower]]''' or fire tower, often on mountain-tops, for viewing the surrounding countryside and watching for signs of fire; (3) '''[[Fire lookout]]''', the person who works in the fire lookout tower; (4) The "L" of "'''LCES'''" safety mnemonic, which see above.

==M==
*'''McLeod''': Hand tool used in fireline construction, consisting of a combination rake and hoe.
*'''Mop-up''': Extinguishing or removing burning material near control lines, felling snags, and trenching logs to prevent rolling after an area has burned, to make a fire safe, or to reduce residual smoke.
*'''Mutual aid''': cross-jurisdictional assistance with emergency services by pre-arranged agreement.

==N==

==O==
*'''One-hour fuel''': Vegetation with large surface-to-mass ratio, a so-called "fine fuel" (along with 10-hour) that quickly reaches critical ([[flammable|inflammable]]) moisture levels (''fine fuel moisture'', FFM) when exposed to [[heat]]; compare with 100-hour or 1000-hour fuels (i.e., live fuel moisture, LFM), which take much more heat to ignite.
*'''Overhead''': Personnel assigned to supervisory positions, including Incident Commander, Command Staff, General Staff, Branch Directors, Supervisors, Unit Leaders, Managers, and staff.

==P==
*'''Palmer drought severity index''' (PDI): Technique for measuring impact of soil moisture changes on vegetation, for predicting fire danger and fire behavior.
*'''Parallel attack:''' Fire containment method where crews constructs fireline at some distance from the edge of the fire (e.g., 100 yards) and then ''burn out'' the fuel in the buffer as the fireline is completed.
*'''Perennial grasses:''' an extremely volatile fuel, after curing, in May, June, July, which can lead to large, fast fires that may reach larger fuels.
*'''Point of origin:''' an element of ''fire behavior'', indicating where a fire began, supporting further analysis of where the fire went or will go; evidence of specific origin is often obscured or destroyed by suppression tactics.
*'''Controlled burn|Prescribed burn''': Deliberately ignited fire for the purpose of forest or prairie management, often to remove heavy fuel buildup or simulate natural cycles of fire in an ecosystem. Also called "controlled burn", even if it becomes uncontrollable.
*'''Progressive hose lay:''' A method of deploying hoses along firelines during suppression and as they are built and reinforced, typically using 1 1/2-inch supply lines, gated wyes and 1-inch lateral lines with nozzles (or at least spigot valves) every 100 feet or so. As the line progesses, more hoses and valves are added.
*'''Project fire''': Any large fire requiring extensive management and the establishment of a temporary infrastructure to support firefighting efforts, such as fire camps. 
*'''Pulaski (tool)|Pulaski''': Combination axe and grub hoe tool with a straight handle, used for building handline. Also known as "P-tool"

==R==
*'''Rapelling|Rapeller''': Crew of specialist hot-shot firefighters who are trained to access a fire area by sliding down ropes suspended from a hovering helicopter.  Also used for delivering wilderness first aid if a rapeller is an EMT.
*'''Reburn''': (1) Repeat burning of an area over which a fire has previously passed, but left fuel that later ignites when burning conditions are more favorable; (2) An area that has re-burned.
*'''Red card''': Credentials issued to qualified wildland firefighters, listing their qualifications and specialties.
*'''Red-flag day''': Weather conditions creating a critical fire hazard, may require closing the forest to non-emergency activities in order to minimize the risk of accidental wildland fires.

==S==
*'''Safety zone''': An area cleared of flammable material 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.
*'''Sawyer''': [[Chainsaw]] crew, may also include ‘’’faller’’’ or ‘’’feller’’’ who is qualified to cut down trees or snags, perhaps while the tree or snag is burning.
*'''Secondary line''': 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.
*'''Skidder unit''': Pre-configured tank, pump, hose for attachment to a logging skidder (large 4-wheel-drive tractor with a dozer blade, winch or grapple) to be carried to a fireline.
*'''Slash (logging)|Slash''': Debris resulting from such natural events as wind, fire, or snow breakage; or such human activities as road construction, logging, pruning, thinning, or brush cutting. It includes logs, chunks, bark, branches, stumps, and broken under-story trees or brush.
*'''Slopover''': Fire spreading outside the boundaries of a control line.
*'''Slug''': Humorous pejorative term for those believed to be doing less work than you.  "Heli-slug" for helitack, "camp slug" for fire camp support personnel, "engine slug" for engine crew member, etc. 
*'''Slurry bomber''': See Airtanker.
*'''Smokechaser''': Colloquial term for a wildland firefighter.  Now mostly archaic, except in [[Minnesota]] where state Department of Natural Resources firefighters are officially known by that name.
*'''Smokejumper''': A specifically trained and certified firefighter who travels to remote wildfires by fixed-wing aircraft and parachutes into a jump spot - that may include trees - close to the fire.
*'''Smoldering''': A fire burning without flame and barely spreading.
*'''Spike camp''': Remote camp usually near a fireline, and lacking the logistical support that a larger fire camp would have. 
*'''Spotting''': Behavior of a fire producing sparks or embers that are carried by the wind and which start new fires (spot fires) beyond the zone of direct ignition by the main fire. A cascade of spot fires can cause a blowup.
*'''Strike team''': Specified combinations of the same kind and type of resources, with communications, and a leader.
*'''Suppression''': All the work of extinguishing or confining a fire beginning with its discovery.
*'''Suppression crew''': Two or more firefighters stationed at a strategic location for initial action on fires. Duties are essentially the same as those of individual firefighters.
*'''Surface fire''': Fire that burns loose debris on the surface, which include dead branches, leaves, and low vegetation.

==T==
*'''Task force''': Any combination or single resources assembled for a particular tactical need, with common communications and a leader. A Task Force may be pre-established and sent to an incident, or formed at an incident.
*'''Tree jump''': A [[Smokejumper]] can sometimes parachute into the tree canopy if a clearing is not available or suitable.
*'''Turn Around''': A widened part of a fire break used for turning vehicles around, also used as a safe area during entrapment.
*'''Type I Engine''': A fire engine designed primarily for fighting fires in structures.
*'''Type II Engine''': A fire engine designed to carry water for use in fire suppression.  Also known as a "Tender" or "Water Tender"
*'''Type III Engine''': A fire engine designed primarily for fighting wildland fires.  These engines are usually able to traverse more rugged terrain than Type I and Type II engines.

==U==
*'''Understory burn''': A controlled burn of fuels below the forest canopy, intended to remove fuels from on-coming or potential fires.
*'''Urban interface''': The Interface zone where man-made structures inter-mingle with wildlands, creating risk of structural involvement in a wildland fire incident.

==W==
*'''Watch out situations''':  A list of 18 situations for firefighters to be aware of, which signal potential hazards on the fire line.
*'''Water tender''': Any ground vehicle capable of transporting specified quantities of water.
*'''Wet line''': Temporary control line using water or other fire retardant liquid to prevent a low-intensity fire from spreading in surface fuels.
*'''Wildfire''': A fire occurring on wildland that is not meeting management objectives and thus requires a suppression response.
*'''Wildland''': An area in which development is essentially nonexistent, except for roads, railroads, power lines, and similar transportation facilities. Structures, if any, are widely scattered.
*'''Wildland Fire Use''' fires (WFU fires) are naturally-ignited wildland [[controlled burn]]s that are managed for purposes of achieving specific previously-defined resource management objectives.
*'''Windfall''': Tree knocked over or broken off by wind, increases fuel loading and hampers building fireline.  Also sometimes called ''blowdown''.






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