NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

How the geospatial feature was derived

Indicates the ratio or proportion of the horizontal distance on the map to the corresponding horizontal distance on the ground.

An event dealing with an accident or mishap involving watercraft.

Air which has a high moisture content and the temperature characteristics of an ocean surface due to extensive exposure to that surface. An intrusion of marine air will moderate fire conditions. Absence of marine air in coastal areas may lead to more severe fire danger. 

Regional climate under the predominant influence of the sea, that is, a climate characterized by marine air; the opposite of a continental climate.

An event dealing with a search, and/or rescue, and/or recovery in a marine setting.

Air which has assumed high moisture content and the temperature characteristics of a water surface due to extensive exposure to that surface.

An offender who sets three or more fires at the same location during a limited period of time.

A fire resulting from many simultaneous ignitions that generates a high level of energy output.

Chronological listing of the dates of fires documented in a designated area, the dates being corrected by crossdating. Size of the area must be specified.

The fuel that is first set on fire by the heat of ignition.

A model that is a quantitative and mathematical representation or simulation which attempts to describe the characteristics or relationship of physical events.

Hand tool with a narrow hoeing surface at one end of the blade and a pick or cutting blade at the other end; used for digging and grubbing.

Absolute maximum allowable gross weight for an aircraft as established by the manufacturer and approved by the FAA.

Computed gross weight for an aircraft, obtained from the appropriate performance chart, which is the maximum gross weight appropriate to the applicable circumstance of configuration and/or environmental conditions.

The highest value for dry bulb temperature measured at the observation site during the preceding 24-hour period.

The maximum geographic limits of spread within which a wildland fire is allowed to spread.

The highest value for relative humidity measured at the observation site during the preceding 24-hour period.

International distress signal/call. When repeated three times it indicates imminent and grave danger and that immediate assistance is required.

A combination hoe or cutting tool and rake, with or without removable blades.

Arithmetic average of all fire intervals in a given area over a given time.

Average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of the tide over a 19-year period.

Moisture content of the small branch wood and foliage of live woody plants, expressed as a percentage of the oven dry weight of the sample, collected monthly and used to supplement NFDRS modeled outputs.

An event dealing with a rescue, and/or recovery, and/or service for a non-accident medical emergency (e.g., heart attack, illness, etc.).

Medical Unit staff are responsible to plan for and provide health and medical services for incident personnel.

Foam with an expansion between 21:1 and 200:1.

A forecast for a period extending from about two days to five days or a week in advance; there are no absolute limits to the period embraced by this definition.

Mobile medical treatment and transportation.

Two or more wildfires that burn together to form a single burned area and which, by management action, may be declared merged and managed as a single incident to improve efficiency and simplify incident management processes.

A flat-topped mountain with steep sides.

The message center is part of the incident communications center and is collocated or placed adjacent to it. It receives, records, and routes information about resources reporting to the incident, resource status, and administrative and tactical traffic.

A set of standardized procedures and practices that have been peer-reviewed and have received general acceptance by the profession.

Mobile weather monitoring station. Each unit consists of a shipping container, solar panel, battery, temperature/relative humidity sensor, wind mast, wind direction/speed sensor, data logger and radio. A Micro-REMS usually accompanies an incident meteorologist and ATMU to an incident. 

Fire pattern indicators that are generally only visible when viewed within close proximity.

The speed of the wind measured at the midpoint of the flames, considered to be most representative of the speed of the wind that is affecting fire behavior.

The middle name of the resource as it appears on a government issued ID. Applies only to overhead resources.

Military Operations Area found on aeronautical charts.

The 24-hour clock system where midnight is 2400, one minute after midnight is 0001 and progresses to 2400 daily.

A unit of pressure equal to a force of 1,000 dynes per square centimeter. (A dyne is the force that would give a free mass of one gram an acceleration of one centimeter per second per second).

The residue of mineral matter left after complete combustion of wood (wood ash) or other organic material; consists largely of oxides, carbonates, and phosphates of Ca, K and Mg, together with other compounds.

Soil layers below the predominantly organic horizons; soil with little combustible material.

The alternative that achieves incident objectives, consistent with priority for firefighter and public safety, and is least expensive when considering expected costs for fire suppression and emergency stabilization and/or rehabilitation.

The lowest value for dry bulb temperature measured at the observation site during the preceding 24-hour period.

The application of strategy and tactics that effectively meet suppression and resource objectives with the least environmental, cultural and social impacts

The lowest value for relative humidity measured at the observation site during the preceding 24-hour period.

Fire of known cause that cannot be properly classified into any of the eight standard causes of fires.

A work order issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to a federal agency, directing completion of a specified task, and setting forth funding, other managerial controls and guidance. Mission Assignments (MA) are implemented utilizing assigned federal agency's existing authorities and resources which may be compensable or non-compensable.

Modifying the environment or human behavior to reduce potential adverse impacts of from a natural hazard.

Actions that are implemented to reduce or eliminate (mitigate) risks to persons, property or natural resources. These actions can be undertaken before and during a wildfire. Before a fire actions can include fuel treatments, creation of fuel breaks or barriers around critical or sensitive sites or resources, and vegetation modification and structural changes to increase the chance a structure will survive a wildfire with or without active protection (sometimes referred to as defensible space or the home ignition zone). Mitigation actions can also occur during response and can include mechanical and physical tasks, specific fire applications, and limited suppression actions. Such as fireline construction, and creating "black lines" through the use of controlled burnouts to limit fire spread and behavior.