SOG 400-05: Wildland Fires

• Standard Operating Guideline SOG 400-05 concerns Wildland Fires
• It was issued on 05/21/2018, and became effective on 06/21/2018
• The purpose is to establish a standard course of action for Wildland fire control
• The Fire Rescue Administrator has authority over the guideline
• This guideline applies to all Emergency Operations personnel

General Guidelines

• Refer to the 100 series SOGs for Pre-Incident Planning, Response, and Communication Center guidelines
• Refer to the 200 series SOGs for Incident Management System, Communication, and Accountability guidelines
• Refer to the 300 series SOGs for General Operations guidelines
• Refer to the 400 series SOGs, with attention to the 420 series for tactical guidelines

Response

• The Communication Center provides additional information like hydrant availability and location
• The first arriving unit may request units based on visible/reported conditions, knowledge of the Wildland fire area, water supply, or other circumstances
• Wildland fire response includes the Brush Truck and the Engine as a Task Force; the Company Officer may elect to respond on either
• During dry brush season, additional units may respond per the Communication Center Protocols

Arrival Report

• The first arriving unit gives an Arrival Report, referencing SOG 420-01 Fire Attack Operations
• The Arrival Report includes acreage, access routes, direction of fire spread, exposures, and type of vegetation
• Additional resources may be requested through the Communication Center, such as additional units, Light and Air, Tender(s), Special Operations, Second Alarm, etc.
• The need for additional assistance should be recognized and requested early

Wildland Fire Tactical Considerations

• The fire's head location and movement are critical factors
• Wildland fires involve three types of attack: Flanking, Direct, and Indirect
• Flanking Attack is an offensive mode and the safest method, working along the flanks from an anchor point towards the head of the fire
• Direct Attack is an offensive and dangerous method, requiring a stop of the forward progress of a rapidly advancing fire
• Indirect Attack is defensive, prioritizing exposure protection by allowing the fire to burn to a better location for control, while protecting exposures
• Apparatus and personnel should operate from within the burned portion of the fire when possible
• An identified escape route must always be maintained
• Preparations to move apparatus quickly are needed in the event of a wind change
• Extreme caution is needed to prevent a tire puncture, a vehicle getting stuck, or a vehicle becoming disabled
• Utilize natural barriers such as canals, roads, or clearings as fire breaks
• The Division of Forestry should be utilized to plow control lines when natural barriers are inadequate or absent
• Experienced personnel should use Burn Out (backfiring) to set a fire inside a control line, consuming fuel between the fire's edge and the control line
• Class A foam use enhances fire suppression, batch mixing may be utilized
• Personnel should mop up the incident by wetting down all fuels within 50 feet of the control line to extinguish the fire
• Water application is more effective when applied to burning material instead of wetting fuel in advance
• Follow SOG 410-02 for foam use instructions
• Reserve apparatus should be used if long pumping operations are required

Safety Considerations

• LCES (Lookouts, Communication, Escape Routes, Safety Zones) terms are important safety considerations in Wildland fires
• Lookouts are firefighters with wildland fire and fire behavior knowledge
• Communication involves noting changing fire conditions
• Escape Routes means selecting the most appropriate escape route
• Safety Zones are areas of safe refuge
• Personnel working at a Wildland fire should wear wildland gear
• Wear a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) when conditions warrant, as described in SOG 220-03 Situational Awareness
• At minimum personnel should wear a Firefighter Helmet, Firefighting Gloves, Bunker Pants/Forestry pants and Structural Boots
• Personnel should wear a Bunker Coat or Forestry jacket
• Consider personnel overheating a potential hazard when selecting PPE
• Drinking water prevents dehydration
• During extended operations: Rehabilitation should be established
• Personnel should be rotated every 30 minutes if necessary
• Reserve Unit 930 supports Rehabilitation, when needed
• Consider the following safety measures when operating on a Wildland fire during thunderstorms:
• Avoid grouping together
• Stay in vehicle during periods of lightning
• Avoid tall objects (such as lone trees) when there is no shelter
• Crouch in the open if there is no shelter, and the only trees nearby are lone trees

Responsibilities

• The first arriving unit establishes Incident Command and manages the incident until it is transferred or terminated, following SOG 200-02 Incident Command Sequence
• The first arriving unit must provide a scene size up to determine the problem extent before committing resources
• The Incident Commander manages the incident, as per SOG 200-02 Incident Command Sequence
• The Incident Commander ensures benchmarks are performed and communicated, as per SOG 210-01 Communications; assigns a Safety Officer; ensures all personnel on scene are wearing PPE; and ensures personnel accountability is followed, as per SOG 220-01 Personnel Accountability
• Obtain frequent weather updates; request aerial recon from Law Enforcement helicopter/Fire Rescue drone; request the Division of Forestry based on size of fire, direction of travel, and exposures; coordinate all backfiring with the Division of Forestry; and consider requesting a single unit resource to assign as a Water Supply Officer, if the Wildland fire is in an area with no hydrants
• Each Company Officer communicates benchmarks and progress reports per SOG 210-01
• Firefighters must perform in a safe manner, following all applicable SOGs
• Firefighters operating off Brush Trucks must have a fire shelter
• Firefighters should operate in plain view of the Brush Truck driver, either walking beside the unit, or riding in an approved front-bumper cage
• Firefighters shall not ride on top of a booster tank or operate a hand line while walking in front of a moving vehicle