ESCONDIDO FIRE DEPT TRAINING MANUAL Section Engine Module Page 1 of 6 Wildland Hand Crews Revised

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1 Engine Module Page 1 of 6 HANDCREW OPERATIONS Hand crews play an important role in wildland fire suppression. Each crew is made up of highly skilled individuals using a variety of hand tools that match the fuels and terrain. Hand crews are used to construct fire lines in steep terrain and areas that are not accessible by engines and other motorized equipment. Hand crews are also used in areas that are protected by environmental restrictions. These are areas where a ban on the use of mechanized equipment is enforced. Hand crews are also a valuable alternative to dozers in minimum impact suppression tactics where fire lines are constructed only where necessary using minimum width and depth. Hand crews are also being used in disaster situations such as floods and wind storms where a disciplined, self-contained and adaptable workforce can meet the needs of Incident Commanders. Hand crew Types and Organization Hand crews are made up of between 12 and 20 firefighters who use primarily hand tools and chainsaws for constructing hand line. Crew size may be smaller based on the assignment and availability of personnel. Hand crew types are based on their level of experience, capability and training. Type 1 hand crews are the most experienced and have the highest level of training. They are fully mobile and prepared for any fire line assignment. Eighty percent of the firefighters must have at least one season of firefighting experience and have permanent supervision. Type 2 crews have less training and experience; their supervisors are not permanently assigned to the crew. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) sets standards concerning the length of fire line a type of Hand crew should construct in an hour. Lengths are measured in numbers of chains. A chain equals 66 feet. A Type 1 crew is expected to complete 30 chains (1980 feet) of line in short grass per hour. A Type 2 crew should complete 18 chains (1188 feet) in an hour. In brush a Type 1 crew should complete 6 chains in an

2 Engine Module Page 2 of 6 hour and a Type 2 should complete 4 chains. The fire line has to be taken down to mineral soil with no combustibles inside it. Hand Crew Standards Hotshot Crew- US Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management; a 20-person crew with a Superintendent- Division Supervisor ranked, 2 Crew Foreman- Captain rank 2-5 senior firefighters and firefighters. Staffed, conditioned, equipped and qualified to meet a variety of strategic and tactical wildland fire assignments. California Department of Corrections- a 15-person crew with a California Department of Forestry Captain and approximately 15 inmate firefighters from the Department of Corrections. County crews- organized crews from various counties within California numbering from 12 to 20 personnel with permanent supervisors and seasonal firefighters. Helitack and Smokejumpers Helitack and Smokejumper hand crews have additional training that allows them to be deployed on fire assignments from helicopters or parachuting from fixed-winged aircraft. These highly specialized crews are deployed from helicopters or airplanes and are an invaluable resource. Helitack crews are small squad sized hand crews that are delivered to the fire by helicopter. Usually numbering fewer than ten firefighters, these crews are valuable in initial attack on incipient stage fires. Helitack crews are also deployed on spot fires or ahead of the main fire to construct scratch lines and are supported by water drops from the helicopter s bucket or fixed tank. Smokejumpers are deployed from fixed wing aircraft and parachute into the fire. By parachuting in, self-sufficient firefighters are able to arrive fresh and ready for the strenuous work of fighting fires in rugged terrain. Jumpers travel all over the country and provide highly trained, experienced firefighters and leadership for quick initial attack on wildland fires in remote areas. Inmate Hand Crews Firefighters working with Inmate Crews should be aware of several general guidelines. These crews are supervised by trained firefighters. California State Department of Correction Crews and California Youth Authority Crews are supervised by California Department of Forestry (CDF) Captains or in some jurisdictions by County Fire Agency Captains. Corrections Officers are responsible for non-fire line supervision such as off duty time in fire camp. Requests for assistance from crews should be directed through the Fire Crew Supervisor. Communications on the fire line should be limited, but treat the

3 Engine Module Page 3 of 6 individuals with respect for they are on the fire line the same as you. Do not offer food or any other materials, these crews are fully self-contained and provide for their own needs. Fire Triangle The ultimate objective in firefighting is to control the fire. Based on the concept of the fire triangle, hand crew operations are designed to break the fire triangle by the following methods: Fuel - separate the fuel by creating an opening or cleared strip from which flammable material has been removed by scraping or digging down to mineral soil. Oxygen - suffocate the fire with dirt or water to rob the fire of oxygen. Heat - cool the fire by applying dirt and water. At night, chunking, stirring and spreading hot materials will expose them to cooler night air. Methods of Attack Three methods that relate to the location of firefighters constructing a fire line in relation to the fire s edge have been defined. These methods are direct, indirect and parallel. Direct Attack - Constructing a fire line right on the fire perimeter. One foot in the green (unburned area) and one foot in the black (burned area) is a description of the firefighter s location. Indirect Attack - constructing a fire line some distance from the fire perimeter. This tactic is often used when fire intensity levels are too great for direct attack. Indirect attack utilizes natural and constructed firebreaks or fuel breaks and topography if available. The intervening strip of unburned fuels is then burned out when the conditions are more favorable. Parallel Attack - Constructing a fire line parallel to but further from the fire perimeter than in a direct attack, due to fire intensity. The fire line is usually started along the flanks from an anchor point. Parallel line may shorten the overall length of line needed by cutting across unburned fingers. Intervening strips of unburned fuels are immediately burned out. Types of Suppression Techniques and Uses Several techniques are utilized by hand crews to slow down or limit the spread of fire. Hand line construction utilizing a combination of cutting, digging and scraping tools is a dangerous and difficult task.

4 Engine Module Page 4 of 6 The tool assignment for the crew is determined by several factors such as the fuel type, position on the slope and the need for trenches to capture rolling material. In addition to constructing hand line, hand crews may also be given the following assignments. Hot spotting - A hand line construction method used during fire suppression to cool the fire s edge and to allow personnel to cut direct line. Helitack crews also are assigned to hotspot certain hot areas of the line preventing the fire from making major runs. Hot spotting the hottest areas of the fire perimeter provides time for a hose lay to catch up with the main body of fire. Cold Trailing - A method of controlling a partly dead fire edge by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hands to detect any fire, digging out and extinguishing every live spot with dirt or water and constructing line on any live edge. Scratch Line - A quick method for checking the spread of fire in light fuels where the line is only wide enough to temporarily hold the fires spread. The width is determined by the fires intensity. The objective is to proceed rapidly along the flank of the fire, and a wider line will have to be constructed at a later time for complete safety. Burning Out - Defined as setting a fire inside the control line to consume fuel between the fire and the control line. Hand crews often finish any indirect hand line by burning the unburned fuels inside the control line. Fire Line Construction Standards Generally, the width of the constructed fire line will have to increase as the amount of heat, fuel and oxygen increases. Some of the factors that likely will influence the line construction standards are: Fuel type of the area- forest, chaparral, desert, artic tundra. Fuel moisture- the lower the fuel moisture the greater the chances for combustion and fire spread. Continuity and arrangement of fuels- the closer and more continuous the fuels, horizontally and vertically, the greater the chance for rapid fire spread and spotting. Temperatures will inversely affect fuel moisture. As fires burn more intensely, more heat is produced (increased BTU ) and combustion and fire spread increases. Increases in wind will increase the amount of oxygen available, increasing the rate of spread and spotting potential. A well develop convection column can also create strong downdrafts and carry embers a great distance.

5 Engine Module Page 5 of 6 Position on Slope- fires on steep slopes need a good trench to catch rolling debris that could ignite fire below the hand line. Mid-slope fires are difficult and dangerous to stop before reaching the ridgetop. They require additional resources for control. A rule of thumb for hand line width is one and one-half times the height of the fuels. Three-foot-high fuels would require a fire line width of 4 ½ to 5. In timber fires, this rule of the thumb is no longer practical. These fires are controlled by constructing hand line and removing the ladder fuels along the line to decrease the chance of spotting or crowning and the fire crossing the control line. The fire line is often located at a distance from the main fire to allow for the line to be constructed and then burned out prior to the arrival of the main fire. Black Line Concept The Black Line Concept requires that any fuels remaining between the main fire and the control line are burned out, or allowed to burn to the control line. This method ensures that fuels and heat remain inside the control line and prevents the fire from making a run at the control line. Safety of the control personnel and security of the control lines are increased. Restated, the Black Line Policy considers the only safe fire line is a black line. Mop-up Mop-up by definition is the extinguishing or removing burning material near the control lines, felling snags, and trenching logs to prevent rolling after an area has burned, to make a fire or a portion of a fire safe, or to reduce residual smoke. More wildland fires are lost during the mop-up phase of firefighting where the forces are tired and have decreased their awareness of the fire conditions. Mop-up is begun when a portion of the main fire is under control and resources are available. The entire fire does not need to be under control before beginning mop-up operations. Snags (a standing dead tree or part of a dead tree from which at least the leaves and small branches have fallen) located along the perimeter must be either felled or isolated from the approaching fire to decrease the potential of spot fires and injuries from falling limbs. Mop-up can be performed either using water; wet mop-up, or without water; dry mop-up. Both involve separating burning and unburned materials, extinguishing the fire and or removing burning material along or near the fire line. On small fires the whole area instead

6 Engine Module Page 6 of 6 of just the perimeter can be mopped-up. Water alone cannot do the job. To be effective, a firefighter using a hand tool turning over hot material should be used in combination with a second firefighter using a limited amount of water. On large fires, the mop-up operations are begun along the perimeter and then proceed towards the interior a specified distance. Frequently, a 100 interior perimeter is determined to be sufficient for complete mop-up. Along roadways or in the urban interface, entire canyons and hillsides must be mopped-up due to public awareness and repeated calls for smokes.