1. Contingencies, Safety, and Suppression Tactics

2. Objectives Define and identify contingencies.
Identify hazards and measures to mitigate those hazards.
Discuss suppression tactics for escaped prescribed burns.

3. Contingencies
Areas outside your prescribed burn boundaries where you can “catch” an escaped fire.
Natural barriers: water bodies, rocky areas, sparse fuels
Man-made barriers: roads, powerline rights-of-way, previously burned areas

5. Contingencies
Resources, people/equipment, you can use to help you with escaped prescribed burns.
Volunteer or town fire departments
Cooperators – other agencies or organizations
May need to have written agreement
Can reciprocate when needed

6. Know your contingencies before you implement your burn!!
Have a plan as to where you think you can catch the escape.
Make sure your resources are available and close enough to be effective.

7. SAFETY Possible hazards Standing dead or dying trees (snags)
Fire weakened trees
Lightning
Smoke
The fire itself
Animals, insects, toxic plants
Members of the public
Fatigue
Heat Stress
Sharp tools
Unexpected weather

8. SNAG

9. Base of burning snag

10. Mitigating Hazards Personal Protective Equipment
Long sleeve shirts, long pants. Try to use cotton or wool or flame resistant clothing.
Leather gloves
Eye protection
Sturdy boots, preferably all leather
Hard hat

11. Mitigating Hazards
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, Safety Zones -- LCES
Re-evaluate continuously as things change
It’s important to use all four components together

12. Lookouts
Use when:
- Firefighters are spread out and can’t see the main fire
- Weather is getting hotter and drier
- Firefighters unfamiliar with local country
Use experienced firefighter who can see firefighters and hazards and communicate those hazards.

13. Communications Make sure assignments are understood! Word of mouth
Hand held radios
Cell phones
Flagging

14. ESCAPE ROUTES
A path a firefighter takes from location exposed to danger to an area free from danger.
-Known to all firefighters
Easily identifiable

15. Safety Zones An area free from hazards Already burned areas
Water bodies
Rocky areas
Areas of light fuels that can be burned off

18. Suppression Tactics
If your prescribed fire escapes and becomes a wildfire, you must begin suppression actions.
Come up with a strategy to suppress the fire and tactics to accomplish the suppression
Inform all firefighters of new plan and roles
SAFETY FIRST! Use LCES

19. Methods of Attack:
Direct Attack - Constructing a fireline or using water right on the fire perimeter. Keep one foot in the black and one foot in the unburned area.
Indirect Attack - Constructing a fireline some distance from the fire perimeter. Should use a barrier (natural or constructed) in fireline construction, if available. Intervening strip is wide and fuels are burned out…..

20. Types of Fire Control Line: Constructed Fireline
Hand Line
Machine Line
Wet Line

21. Types of Fire Control Line cont.: Natural Control Line
Cold Fire Edge
Fuel Break
Previously Constructed Barriers 