Skip to main content

8.0 Fire Behavior - Introduction

Chapter 8 presents information related to midflame windspeeds, flame length, flame height, and other components of fire behavior. It includes techniques for estimating different fire parameters, including rate of spread, and provides charts, graphs, and worksheets to help determine such characteristics as probability of ignition and map spread distance.

6.1 Bearing

A bearing provides a direction given as the primary compass direction (north or south), degree of angle, and an east or west designation. A bearing describes a line as heading north or south, and deflected some number of degrees toward the east or west. A bearing, therefore, will always have an angle less than 90°.

Example 1 - Megan starts at a point and goes in the direction shown in the figure below. What is her bearing?

Megan is in the NE quadrant. The primary compass direction is north. Count the degrees down from North, for a total of 70°. 

6.0 Location - Introduction

Chapter 6 provides information on finding your current location by using bearing, azimuth, back azimuths, a compass, and a map. It describes techniques for correcting for declination and explains intersection, resection, latitude, and longitude. Additional information highlights Global Positioning Systems (GPS), base, townships, range, and sections.

5.1 Burn Area and Perimeter

The perimeter is the distance around the fire or along the handline. Perimeter is determined by adding the lengths of the various lines that enclose the black area of a fire. Because fires often burned in unusual shapes such as fingers, the perimeter of a fire can be approximated by assembling a combination of known shapes and lines. 

4.1 Flame Length

Flame length is the distance measured from the average flame tip to the middle of the flaming zone at the base of the fire. It is measured on a slant when the flames are tilted due to effects of wind and slope. Flame length is an indicator of fireline intensity.

photo showing flame length

Subscribe to

NWCG Latest Announcements