1. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Initial Fire Report

2. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Objectives
Upon completion of this section, you will be able to:
Describe wildfire reporting procedures
List 4 considerations when conducting a fire reconnaissance
Complete an Initial Fire Report
Name 2 methods for determining fire size from an aircraft
Identify fire rank
Infer fire behaviour from smoke column type and colour

3. Wildfire Reporting Procedures
Basic Wildland Fire Management
Wildfire Reporting Procedures
Notify Duty Officer immediately
Jasper Dispatch
This is 972 with a fire report, are you ready to copy?
WAIT FOR RESPONSE
I have small, fast moving fire 1km north of Otter Lake. Standby for IFR.
Secure area (i.e. public safety, potential evidence)
Conduct fire reconnaissance
Complete an Initial Fire Report
Transmit IFR to Duty Officer
Aerial patrols, lookouts, private or commercial aircraft, and the public may report wildfires by radio, telephone or direct contact. When receiving a fire report it’s critical to collect as much information as possible from the reporting person. The appropriate management of wildfires is contingent on timely and accurate detection, reporting and assessment. If a fire report is received from the public (e.g. private or commercial aircraft, park visitor), ensure a contact number is provided in case additional information is required.
The Duty Officer should be notified immediately after receiving a report of a wildfire or discovery of a wildfire. Fire messages have priority over routine radio traffic; so don’t hesitate to cut in by identifying yourself, the station you are calling, and stating you are reporting a fire. Prompt notification alerts the Duty Officer and provides a general location so suppression resources can be dispatched immediately if required. It’s a good idea to give the latitude and longitude of the fire since there may be two fires close together.
BANFF, THIS IS RED PATROL WITH A FIRE REPORT, ARE YOU READY TO COPY?”
Wait for response and then continue
I HAVE A SMALL, FAST MOVING FIRE 1km NORTH OF OTTER LAKE, ABOUT 30m WEST OF THE MAIN ROAD. STANDBY FOR AN IFR.
After the initial call, proceed to the fire, secure the area, conduct fire reconnaissance, complete an Initial Fire Report (IFR), and then transmit the information to the Duty Officer. An IFR details the minimum required information (e.g. size, location, rate of spread, etc.) needed to set preliminary fire management objectives in the event of a new wildfire. As a firefighter, you should be capable of completing an accurate IFR. Notwithstanding, the value of the IFR will depend on the skill of the individual making the report.
The health & safety of you and the public is always the first priority, so it’s important to secure the area. What’s more, the cause of a fire may be of concern. Fire management is very expensive and in some cases fire costs may be recouped if the fire was illegally ignited. It’s important as first on the scene that you protect the scene (e.g. preserve evidence of fire start, note of any suspicious activity in the area, record license numbers, etc.).

4. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Fire Reconnaissance
When assessing a wildfire:
What fire has done, is doing and will do?
What resources are required to control fire?
What resistance to suppression resources exists?
What opportunities for effective control exist?
Aerial recci from either inside or outside fire’s edge at 1000ft then 200ft
Ground recci when firefighters arrive at fire
Record all observations
When assessing a wildfire, you need to consider the following.
What has the fire done, what is it doing and what will it do?
What resources are required to control the fire?
What resistance to suppression resources (e.g. change in fuel, topography, etc.) exists?
What opportunities for effective control (e.g. natural or man-made barriers) exist?
From an aircraft
Brief the pilot on what you are looking for and how you want to proceed. Fly so that the observer has the best possible view of the fire, either inside or outside fire perimeter. It’s important to record all observations as soon as they are noted. Fly high first (e.g ft) to see the whole fire area; the initial call to Duty Officer should be made at this time. Next fly only a few hundred feet above the ground, if in a helicopter, avoid flying so low that rotor downwash fans the fire. Observe details regarding fire situation, fuels, topography, water sources, and access for crews and machinery.
From the ground
Aerial reconnaissance is followed up by ground reconnaissance when firefighters arrive at the fire. Aircraft should remain over the fire within radio range until the Crew Leader has completed a quick ground reconnaissance to determine if the fire assessment needs to be modified.

5. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing an IFR
Fire Number (e.g. 05BA001)
Fire Name given according to geographic feature
Location (i.e. GPS coordinate)
ALPHA - Size
On large fires, compare with known feature (e.g. lake)
On small fires, estimate number of tree lengths
The Parks Canada IFR contains basic fire information on a 1pg form.
Fire Number
Fire number is an alphanumeric string; the first 2 digits identify the year, the next 2 digits identify the park and the final 3 digits are the fire number (e.g. 04BA001 represents Banff NP first fire of 2004).
Fire Name
Name given according to geographic feature (e.g. Hermit Meadow Fire)
Location
The map scale, preferably 1:250,000, you are working with will determine to what accuracy you’ll be able to record the fire location. When recording a UTM, a map number must be recorded as well. A UTM is a six-digit number, the first 3 corresponding to the Easting and the last 3 the Northing. Large-scale maps may have a grid divided into 1km2 blocks which must than be further be broken down and estimated to the to the 10th decimal for both the Easting and Northing vectors (e.g. Easting of 76.4 and Northing of 96.1 translates to UTM on map 72 F/12). Alternately, the location can be given in latitude and longitude.
Alpha - Size
Specify the fire size as precisely as possible. For example, ‘Alpha 3’ refers to a fire between ha, which isn’t specific enough to effectively allocate resources. However, it can be difficult to accurately estimate fire size and distance from an aircraft. On larger fires, you can check the length of a known feature (e.g. lake) on a map, then compare this distance with the length of a fire flank. On smaller fires, you can estimate the average tree height and use the number of tree lengths between objects to calculate an approximate distance.

6. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing an IFR
BRAVO - Fire Rank
Bravo - Fire Rank
Fire activity can be characterized first by type (i.e. ground, surface, crown) and then by intensity. The fire intensity ranking system ranks fires from 1 to 6 based on Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System (FWI) values, which dictates the type and size of attack force needed.
Rank 1 smouldering ground fire has no open flame and produce white smoke
Rank 2 low vigour surface fire has unorganized flame front (i.e. exhibit different characteristics) and ROS <1.5m/min
Rank 3 moderately vigorous surface fire has organized flame front, may display candling, and ROS 1.5-3m/min – handline will be challenged
Rank 4 highly vigorous surface fire or passive crown fire has torching, grey-black smoke, short-range spotting, and ROS 3-6m/min – control may fail
Rank 5 extremely vigorous surface fire or active crown fire has black-copper smoke, long-range spotting, and ROS 6-18m/min
Rank 6 blow-up produces violent physical behaviour and control shouldn’t be attempted until conditions ameliorate

7. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing an IFR
CHARLIE - Rate of Spread
Slow means little or no movement
Moderate means fire advancement recognizable
Fast means fire front moving rapidly in definite direction
DELTA - Smoke
Column type indication of fire behaviour
Smoke colour indication of fuel conditions
ECHO - Wind
Use smoke column type or Beaufort Scale to estimate wind speed
Charlie - Rate of Spread
Delta - Smoke
The column type can be an indicator of fire behaviour. For example, a convection column indicates that the fire is generating sufficient energy to override surface winds. What’s more, the smoke colour can be an given you an idea about fuel conditions and fire behaviour.
White indicates very moist fuel and mild fire behaviour
Grey indicates moist fuel and moderate fire behaviour
Black indicates dry fuels and high fire behaviour
Copper indicates very dry fuels and severe fire behaviour
Echo - Wind
Smoke indication of wind speed, alternatively use Beaufort Scale

8. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing an IFR
FOXTROT - Slope
GOLF - Aspect
HOTEL - Position on Slope
Indicates fire potential (e.g. timber type, etc.)
INDIA - Fuels
Grass include percent cured
Deciduous and/or conifer include height
FBP fuel type
JULIET - Adjacent Fuels
Evaluate adjacent fuels in direction of spread
Foxtrot – Slope
(1) Flat (including rolling terrain); (2) moderate (6o to 17o) 10-30%, slope rises 1m vertically for every 10m horizontally; and (3) steep (>17o) >30%, slope rises 1m vertically for every 3m horizontally
If you are performing your fire assessment from the ground, an estimate of slope can be checked by a clinometer. When you are performing your fire assessment from the air, you will find it easier to estimate slope during the low passes over the fire. Slope is deceiving from the air; it usually looks flatter than it actually is, so be sure to double‑check your slope estimates. Slope is measured in percent.
Hotel - Position on Slope
Position on slope will indicate timber type and values as well as fire potential.
India - Fuels
(1) Grass including % cured; (2) brush; (3) deciduous including height (m); (4) coniferous including height (m); (5) % canopy closure; (6) % downed wood; and (7) FBP fuel type
Juliet - Adjacent Fuels
Evaluate adjacent fuels in direction of fire spread or based on predicted fire behaviour.

9. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing an IFR
KILO - Water
Identify source, distance from fire and any elevation differences
LIMA - Access
Note distance and direction from fire
MIKE - Paper Trailed
NOVEMBER - VAR
OSCAR - Requirements
Determine objectives based on safety, VAR, fire behaviour and available resources
Identify priorities and establish time objectives
Kilo - Water
The availability of water and proximity to the fire will determine water delivery options and influence fire camp locations. Indicate the source and potential supply (e.g. a small slough), distance from fire, and any elevation difference between water source and top of fire. Check water sources for use with portable pumps and/or tanker fill sites. Any water source within 1km of the fire should be noted. Although small streams are difficult to see from the air, patches or a string of deciduous growth, etc. that differs from the rest of the timber could indicate water.
Lima - Access
Note the distance and direction from the fire. Use natural or man-made openings as helispots. Helispots close to the fire with good road access can be used as staging areas for crews and equipment. If no obvious access, note possible rappel target.
Mike - Paper Trailed
Paper trailing will assist ground crews in locating fires as well as let other aircraft know that the fire has been discovered and reported. All fires should be paper trailed unless they are large enough that there is no doubt that ground crews will find them.
Oscar - Requirements
Determine your objectives based on safety, values at risk, fire behaviour and available resources. This will help you identify your priorities as well as establish time objectives. You should also consider contingencies such as how will your plan be affected if a piece of equipment breaks down. Time is critical, so don’t hesitate to request additional resources as soon as possible.

10. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing an IFR
REMARKS
Presence of crews and/or equipment
Opportunities for effective control
Approaching weather
Changes in fuel and/or topography
Remarks
This section is extremely important and should not be overlooked. Mention any items that are not noted or may be unclear in the main body of the report. The space on the front of the form is limited, so use the back of the form if necessary. Other items that can be mentioned include:
Presence of crews and/or equipment at or near fire
Opportunities for effective control (e.g. natural or man-made barriers to spread)
Approaching weather (e.g. winds, lightning, rain, etc.)
Changes in fuel and/or topography

11. IFR 101: Aerial Reconnaissance
Basic Wildland Fire Management
IFR 101: Aerial Reconnaissance
Based on 4 questions to consider when assessing a wildfire, conduct an aerial recci of the following fire in Kootenay NP.
What has the fire done, what is it doing and what will it do?
What resources are required to control the fire?
What resistance to suppression resources (e.g. change in fuel, topography, etc.) exists?
What opportunities for effective control (e.g. natural or man-made barriers) exist?

12. IFR 101: Ground Reconnaissance
Basic Wildland Fire Management
IFR 101: Ground Reconnaissance
After conducting a ground recci of the fire, has your assessment changed?

13. Completing a Fire Assessment
Basic Wildland Fire Management
Completing a Fire Assessment
Assess daily information
Assess enroute
Assess probability of control
Assess course of action
Assess effectiveness
Assess ability to extinguish
An IFR details the minimum required information needed to set preliminary fire management objectives in the event of a new wildfire. While a fire assessment is an ongoing evaluation of the potential impacts of a fire, and includes other information not included in an IFR (e.g. fire potential, etc.). It may be provided with the IFR when conducted by experienced fire personnel.
The quality of fire assessments varies with experience. It is not likely that you will be asked to assess a fire that is beyond your capabilities or range of experience. However, the nature of wildland fires is such that less experienced firefighters will, at times be challenged to provide a quality fire assessment. Be thorough, accurate and communicate effectively. A fire assessment may be updated and communicated to the Duty Officer numerous times as the situation changes.
Fire Assessment Checklist
The following items should be considered in preparing a fire assessment.
1.       Assess daily information
Prior to call, consider: (1) current and forecast weather, (2) potential for ignition (i.e. lightning event, high human use period and/or area, etc.), (3) predicted fire behaviour, (4) available resources, etc.
2.      Assess enroute
After receiving call, consider: (1) location and access to fire, (2) terrain and fuel type, (3) water availability, (4) observed fire behaviour, (5) potential barriers to fire spread, (6) other resources dispatched and/or available, etc.
3.      Assess probability of control
After arriving on-scene, complete an IFR. Next, assess difficulty of control (i.e. no problems, problems but adequate resources, problems and additional resources required, fire beyond control) and any safety concerns (e.g. pockets of heavy fuel, high wind speeds, etc.).
4.      Assess course of action
Once the IFR has been completed, select the appropriate strategy and tactics (e.g. direct attack, etc.) given fire conditions (i.e. size, current and forecast weather, current and predicted fire behaviour, etc.). Before you go to work, it’s imperative that the crew is fully briefed on what the plan is, they’re properly equipped and supervised, and they’ve implemented LACES and are fully aware of the safety concerns.
5.      Assess effectiveness
Once work has begun, consider if selected strategy is working and be prepared to change. What’s more, Look Up, Look Down, Look Around – don’t get tunnel vision.
6.      Assess ability to extinguish
Once fire is under control, consider: (1) mop-up objectives (e.g. extinguishment 10m from fire’s edge or all fire), (2) resources required for patrol and mop-up, (3) anticipated time of completion, etc.

14. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Conclusion
Appropriate management of wildfires is contingent on timely and accurate detection, reporting and assessment
Wildfire reporting procedures include:
Notifying DO immediately
Securing scene
Conducting reconnaissance
Completing IFR
Transmitting IFR to DO
IFR contains basic fire information required to set preliminary fire management objectives

15. Basic Wildland Fire Management
Objectives
Upon completion of this section, you will be able to:
Describe wildfire reporting procedures
List 4 considerations when conducting a fire reconnaissance
Complete an Initial Fire Report
Name 2 methods for determining fire size from an aircraft
Identify fire rank
Infer fire behaviour from smoke column type and colour