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Firefighter Math: 6.2 Azimuths

An azimuth is the direction measured in degrees clockwise from north on an azimuth circle. An azimuth circle consists of 360 degrees. Ninety degrees corresponds to east, 180 degrees is south, 270 degrees is west, and 360 degrees and 0 degrees mark north.

photo of compass rose in desert near NASA Dryden

The word "bearing" is sometimes used interchangeably with azimuth to mean the direction (the degree reading) from one object to another. As shown in Section 6.1, this usage is correct only in the first (NE) quadrant between 0° and 90°.
Example 1 - What is the bearing and azimuth reading of the line?

The azimuth reading is 45° or the bearing is N 45° E.

Notice that in this case the azimuth and bearing are both the same because the direction is in the NE or first quadrant.

Azimuths can also be read from the south. In the previous example, the azimuth reading is 225° from the south. The National Geodetic Survey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (formerly the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey) always uses south as the zero direction. In wildland fire service, the azimuth is always read from the north point.
 

WIND DIRECTION

Azimuth is often used to denote wind direction. Traditionally, wind direction is reported as one of eight compass point (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). However, plots of wind and speed direction often give an azimuth value using 0° and 360° for north, as described above. Winds are named according to the direction from which they are blowing. For instance, a westerly wind blows from the west (or 270°), while a southeasterly wind blows from the southeast (135°).

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NWCG is pleased to announce the new S-231, Engine Boss (Single Resource) course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this training supports individuals working towards Engine Boss, Single Resource (ENGB) incident qualifications. 

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NWCG is proud to celebrate 50 years of service to the wildland fire community. Beginning in 1976 with an interagency agreement between the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture, NWCG has grown to include additional member agencies and is recognized as the standard-setting leader in wildland fire operations.

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NWCG is pleased to announce the new S-131, Firefighter Type 1 course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this course is a performance-based instructor-led training (ILT) that focuses on the application of situational awareness and decision making, building on the knowledge and concepts introduced in previous required courses. Using a threaded fictitious fire, each unit focuses on a performance-based activity in which students practice applying their decision-making and problem-solving skills.

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The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP) is announcing the 2026 Professional Reading List.  The goal of the annual reading list is to promote the reading and discussion of the selected books throughout the year. 

The six books chosen for this year are: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie; Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink; Meditations by Marcus Aurelious; Quiet by Susan Cain; The Little Book of Stoic Quotes by Phil Van Treuren; and The Confident Mind by Nate Zinsser.

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