Wildland Fire Tools PDF

Use of hand tools: Hand tools are a part of the typical gear carried by wildland firefighters ○ Including prescribed burners They have their helmet, gloves, fire resistant clothing, radios, etc. They always have a hand tool Use for: ○ Fireline construction Trying to make a line to remove fuel (burna...

Use of hand tools: Hand tools are a part of the typical gear carried by wildland firefighters ○ Including prescribed burners They have their helmet, gloves, fire resistant clothing, radios, etc. They always have a hand tool Use for: ○ Fireline construction Trying to make a line to remove fuel (burnable material) so that the fire cannot cross On the prescribed side of things : constructing them beforehand Cutting brush Involved in removing groundcover and fuel --> Want to get down to bare soil Removing ground cover/surface fuel ○ Mop up At the end of the prescribed fire = making sure that the fire stays there Smothering logs, stumps, small areas with fires along the edges of the area that was burnt Preferred hand tools differ regionally ○ Think about different biomes --> Different vegetation --> need for different tools ○ Example: Grass on fire vs trees tec. Safety, carrying, and usage: Wear PPE ○ Gloves, eye protection, helmets, etc. Keep a safe distance from others ○ Think of that circle of death Communicate when passing close Do not swing above head ○ Tools are not meant for this example: Axe blade with the hoe on the other side Watch what you are cutting/scraping Carry with sharp edges down or away from you, on the downhill side Pass to others handle first Be careful of how tools are positioned when not is use ○ Laid down or balanced on something Maintenance: Inspecting for damage regularly Clean them = helps to maintain them so that the steal doesn’t rust and the handles do not dry and crack Sharp edges need to remain sharp ○ You can use a file to sharped it at the right angle Tools: Pulaski: Named for Ed Pulaski who was a forest firefighter ○ The axe head with the hoe on the end ○ Associated with wildland fire ○ Useful for chopping (axe) and for scraping (hoe) ○ Not used that often here (Georgia), but more out west ○ To carry: Keep the sharpest blade down. Set them down on their side. Sometimes they can come with a cover for both sharp edges Flapper: Also called swatter ○ Not commonly used in GA --> Really common with grass fires (prairie with no woody vegetation situations) ○ Basically a big rubber mud flap on a stick ○ Good for smothering a flame ○ Safety = not much to worry about since there are no sharp parts Fire shovel: ○ Looks more of less like a real shovel but the edges are sharper than normal Can cut through a root ○ Another difference between that and a regular shovel that a regular shovel has the steps on it and that it is more in line with the handle = regular shovel is more for digging downward ○ Fire shovel does not have the steps, has a really steep angle, the edge is more narrow and has sharp edges ○ The purpose for a fire shovel is good for scrapping and tossing soil = it is more parallel to the ground ○ When carrying, point the sharp edge away from your knee Rogue hoe: ○ A handle with a metal plate. Is sharpened at the bottom and on the sides, too. ○ They can be more narrow or wide = variety in sizes ○ These are used for scraping and cutting down ○ Good for cutting through vegetation and pulling down logs ○ Be careful with the sharper edges. Carry sideways or down ○ Place down with the sharp blade down Combi tool: ○ Stands for combination = combination of hoe on one side (sharp on bottom and serrated blade on the sides) and the other side has a pick Has a spinning wheel that you can move to get the right Can even use it as a tiny little shovel McLeod (pronounced mc cloud) ○ Combination tool = combination of a hoe and a rake ○ Giant blade that is sharp on one side ( 10 inch) ( limit if you need to get into small areas) ○ On the other side is the rake that are very strong ○ Downside of this tool is that it is very heavy, but will do heavy duty work Council rake: ○ Named after the council tool company ○ It is a rake that has tooth like blades that are sharp on all sides, but there is not a big sharp point at the top of the triangle ○ Works as a really great rake and you can cut, scrape, drag very easily ○ Maintenance = if one of the teeth breaks, you can take it off and replace it ○ Carry with the points away from you Garden rake: ○ Not fire specific ○ Good if you are on a budget or working at home ○ Same functions as other rakes, but just not as sturdy = does not last too long Leaf rake: ○ Not fire specific --> It is made of plastic or wood = will not survive in a fire situation ○ Good if you are on a budget or working at home Most common in GA = council rake, Rogue hoe, combi, and fire shovels Other equipment: Drip torches: Cheap and easy way that has great control of what you are lighting ○ Used for lighting fires but can be seen in the suppression of fires ○ Two main types of drip torches: Panama and standard Panama = much longer wand that is good for flinging fire out far (couple meters in) ○ Cut away view: The whole wand with the pig tale and a tube at the bottom which is inside for the standard one. You flip it around so it is on the outside! ○ The inside is filled with fuel. Nothing comes out cause it is a closed container. You have the nut that is connected to the tube that allows air to come in so that the fuel can then come out. When you tip = fuels comes out and drips over the wick to light on fire and fall. ○ Pigtail goes opposite of the handle Drip torch fuel: ○ Combination of diesel and gasoline mixture ○ Diesel: higher energy density = burns hotter ○ Gasoline: easier to ignite Lower flash point, burns fast ○ D:G mixture depends on conditions, typically from 50:50 to 70:30 3.5 gal diesel : 1.5 gal gasoline Some go as high as 4:1 or 5:1, but harder to ignite and hotter = uncommon in GA Backpack sprayer: ○ Holds 5 gallons = very heavy (around 45 pounds) ○ Come in different types (we have a hard plastic one) ○ Operate: Spin to open, screen catch to get the gunk out to minimize line clogs, you have a wand that you can pump back and spray. You have different nozzles to change the size and shape of the stream Backpack leaf blower: ○ They have become more common on the fire line to use them to blow off a path = faster than clearing it by hand with a rake ○ Can also be used to blow out the fire (think like blowing out a match) Belt weather kit: ○ Helpful in calculating ignition probability and predicting fire behavior ○ What are the parts of a belt weather kit? Sling psychrometer A psychrometer that can be whirled in the air until the reading of the wet-bulb thermometer reaches a constant value Contains a wet bulb thermometer with a wet cloth on it, and a second thermometer for a dry value attached to a handle Slide rule A rule that has a central ruler with two sliding (wet and dry) rulers on either top or bottom. This is used to find the relative humidity Water bottle Contains distilled water that you can place on the wet bulb of the psychrometer to help measure difference between wet and dry bulb Fire weather kit contd. ○ Wind meter A long trapezoid shaped tool Has holes on the top, bottom, and back. The wind will flow through these holes and push a foam ball that is trapped inside the tool. Measures wind speed and wind pressure ○ Compass Used to help understand the wind direction Shows what direction the wind is blowing from ○ Notebook Used for notating the values calculated. Is helpful since you have to check the weather every hour or so Most operations have pumps, hoses, engines, chainsaws, etc. ATV/UTV ○ Ignition, suppression, personnel transport ○ Can mount torches on these for ignition as mentioned above Aviation: UAV (Drone), helicopter, airplane ○ For ignition and suppression