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=fir e. 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 FIRE REGIMES

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. INITIAL ATTACK KEEPING IT SMALL FREE REIGN TO NATURAL PROCESSES

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

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

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

18. TOOLS 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 INFORMATION PACKET

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

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 Safety is always our highest priority All tactics based on Appropriate Management Response and Incident Objectives All tactics based on Appropriate Management Response and Incident Objectives

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

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

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

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 Utilize natural holding features Rock scree Timberline Wet meadows Rivers/lakesTrails

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

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

51. Mop Up Eliminate hazard trees Mop up only what is absolutely necessary to hold our line Mop up only what is absolutely necessary to hold our line Angle-cut or beaver-cut felled trees Angle-cut or beaver-cut felled trees Blacken stumps Blacken stumps Reduced mop up standards may require increased monitoring Reduced mop up standards may require increased monitoring

52. Logistics Fundamental to any operation Pre-planning is key Hotshot Crews are self-sufficient for 24 hours

53. Camp Safe location, near the work area Preferably a non-sensitive area Preferably a non-sensitive area Dispersed camping and travel Dispersed camping and travel Designated toilet areas Designated toilet areas We police ourselves We police ourselves Supplied by helicopter or pack train Supplied by helicopter or pack train

54. Spike

55. Medical Helicopter medivac sites will be identified, improved, and constructed as necessary Non-negotiable Non-negotiable

56. Hazmat  Hazardous materials are kept away from water sources and sensitive areas whenever possible  When conducting portable pump operations, all prudent precautions will be exercised to prevent hazmat spilling

57. Rehabilitation WRA works with fire management to determine rehab standards Mitigate evidence and effects of camp locations Mitigate evidence and effects of camp locations Rehabilitate constructed line as appropriate Rehabilitate constructed line as appropriate Mitigate visual effects of felled trees and brush Mitigate visual effects of felled trees and brush Provide for erosion control as appropriate Provide for erosion control as appropriate

58. Summary Our job is to accomplish the incident objectives assigned to us in the safest, most efficient manner, while causing the least environmental impact possible, in both the long and short term

59. As Wilderness Resource Advisors, you can make both our job and your job much easier by planning ahead, knowing your area, and compiling your information in a clear, concise, deliverable format

60. Create a map of your wilderness area and identify: Sensitive/Critical features Sensitive/Critical features Potential camp locations Potential camp locations Potential holding features Potential holding features Fuel types/changes Fuel types/changes Water sources Water sources Existing/Potential helicopter landing zones Existing/Potential helicopter landing zones Hazards Hazards Trails Trails

61. What MIST Means to US Most Intelligent Sensible Tactics

62. SUMMARY SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE, AND IS THE REASON BEHIND OUR DECISIONS COMMUNICATION IS KEY FLEXIBILTY AND TRADE-OFFS A MUST EDUCATION

63. QUESTIONS ???

64. MIMA What is it? How is it different from MIST? Has MIMA been transmitted to the fire world? Is the change official? How will it effect firefighters?