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Ash Pit Hazards

 

Ash pits are an inherent and hidden risk to wildland firefighters that can cause severe burns and injuries. Ash pits are created when a ground fire consumes underground fuels creating an empty space that is imperceptible from the surface.

Environmental factors that increase the risk of ash pit formation after a wildfire:

  • Extensive root systems of trees and shrubs.
  • Deep duff or peat, which is the organic layer covering mineral soil.
  • Landscapes that have once been cultivated or manipulated by heavy equipment, old dozer piles, sawmills, timber sale yards, or decking areas.
  • Animal dwellings that have become filled with decadent combustible debris.
    • Small rodent holes,
    • Beaver holes near dams and stream beds, or
    • Badger and coyote dens.
  • White ash is sometimes an indicator of ash pits, as are swarms of hovering insects.
  • With the sun behind the suspected ash pit, look for small nearly translucent smokes that dissipate quickly above the ground.
  • Ash pits often give off the smell of incomplete combustion or of creosote burning.

Mitigation measures to consider:

  • Identification of high-risk landscape.
  • Identify and flag all hazardous discovered ash pits.

 

Category
Misc Fireline Hazards
References
Safety Advisory: Ash Pit Safety (while information may be outdated, it is still…
One Ash Pit Ate Two firefighters: Blog post from the Lessons Learned Center
Ash Pit Burn Injuries - Southcentral Alaska
Ash Pit Burn Injuries - Swan Lake Fire

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Updated NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508

Date: March 31, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Airtanker Base Operations Unit

The updated NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508 standardizes operations and procedures at interagency airtanker bases to ensure safe, efficient, and effective operations in support of interagency goals and objectives.

References:

NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508

WFSTAR 2025 Core Component Module Package and 2024 Fire Year in Review Now Available

Date: March 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
Joe Schindel at mschindel@blm.gov
 

The 2025 Core Component Module Package for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) and the 2024 Fire Year in Review are now available on the NWCG website. The 2025 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

References:

2025 Core Component Module Package

2024 Fire Year in Review Module

NEW! NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053

Date: March 12, 2025
Contact: Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Committee

The NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 provides mitigation practitioners at all experience levels with recommendations on the most effective and efficient ways to accomplish mitigation work in communities at risk to wildfire damage or destruction. The content in this guide was written in coordination with the NWCG Standards for Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface, PMS 052.

References:

NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 

Updated, NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Date: March 11, 2025
Contact: Fire Use Subcommittee
Wildland Fire Module Unit

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430 standardizes procedures and expectations for Wildland Fire Modules (WFMs). These standards are to be used by staff, supervisors, specialists, and technicians for planning, administering, and conducting WFM operations. These standards will also be used as a measure of WFM qualifications, capabilities, and expected performance, for both Type 1 and Type 2 WFMs.

References:

NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430