NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

A code for the identification of the states, the District of Columbia and the outlying areas of the United States, and associated areas.

The State Code identifying the state or equivalent entity at point of origin. Point of origin is the precise location where a competent ignition source came into contact with the material first ignited and sustained combustion occurred.

A state agency specific accounting identifier.

Forests owned and administered by a state, and not by a federal government.

A code which expresses the amount of cloud cover, kind of precipitation, and/or restrictions to visibility being observed at the fire danger station at basic observation time.

An area established by the government of a state primarily for public recreation or for the preservation of unique natural or historic resources, administrative details varying widely. NOTE: Such parks may also be established by lesser administrative units, e.g. counties, municipalities, and also by large private owners. 

Water pressure head available at a specific location when no water is being used so that no friction loss is being encountered. Static pressure is that pressure observed on the engine inlet gauge before any water is taken from the hydrant.

Supply of water at rest which does not provide a pressure head for fire suppression but which may be employed as a suction source for fire pumps (e.g., water in a reservoir, pond, or cistern).

A WIMS file that contains all the information defined for a weather station.

A six-digit number assigned to a specific weather station by the servicing National Weather Service Fire Weather Office.

Pressure of the atmosphere at an assigned station location and elevation.

The number that results from manipulating raw data according to a specified procedure; associated with samples.

In general, an actionable fire, on which any fire agency reports and maintains specified information (e.g., cause, date and point of origin, size, fire damage).

A branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data.

Current state for treatment or activity, started, not started, completed, cancelled

Short description if treatment or activity is canceled.

Five-minute test used to predict a person's ability to take in, transport, and use oxygen (aerobic capacity), the most important factor limiting the ability to perform arduous work.

The central point or area of a weather system associated with increased winds, clouds or precipitation (or any combination thereof).

Water or fire retardant projected directly from the nozzle (as contrasted with a fog or spray cone), provided by a solid stream orifice or by adjusting a fog jet into a straight stream pattern.

A hose tip spout designed to provide the maximum reach of water without feathering.

A wire or metal guard used to keep debris from clogging pipe or other openings made for removing water; used in pumps and on suction hose to keep foreign material from clogging or damaging pumps.

A broad statement, specified in a land/resource management or fire management plan that identifies change in water, soil, air, or vegetation from the present to proposed conditions, or describes an existing resource condition that should be maintained. Strategic objectives deal with large areas over long time periods and project intended outcomes of management activities that contribute to the maintenance or achievement of desired conditions. 

The general plan or direction selected to accomplish incident objectives.

Number of resources used to attack a fire.

Total firefighting resources available, during a specified period, to conduct and support firefighting operations.

A set number of resources of the same kind and type that have an established minimum number of personnel, common communications, and a leader.

A narrow finger or band of fuel that connects two or more patches or areas of wildland fuel.

Burning by means of strip firing.

In hazard reduction, burning narrow strips of fuel and leaving the rest of the area untreated by fire.

Setting fire to more than one strip of fuel and providing for the strips to burn together. Frequently done in burning out against a wind where inner strips are fired first to create drafts which pull flames and sparks away from the control line.

A series of lines of fire ignited near and up wind (or downslope) of a firebreak or backing fire so they burn with the wind (or upslope) toward the firebreak or backing fire.

The protection of homes or other structures from an active wildland fire.

When flames from a burning building or other structure extend beyond the immediate area and ignite surrounding vegetation.

A constructed object, usually a free-standing building above ground.

The arrangement of vegetation in terms of density, basal area, cover, and vertical arrangement.

An event dealing with a major accident or mishap such as collapse of a building or other man-made structure.

Fire originating in and burning any part or all of any building, shelter, or other structure.

An event dealing with a fire originating in and burning any part or an entire building, shelter, or other structure.

Ignition resulting from failures or activites associated with residential or other structures.

The characteristics of a structure and its immediate surroundings within 100 feet; the SIZ may be extended (e.g., to 150 or 200 feet) in areas of steep terrain or dense, highly flammable vegetation. The SIZ is the key determinant for structure ignition potential during wildfire.

A plan developed by the Structure Protection Specialist that provides operational guidelines to suppression resources responsible for providing wildland fire structure protection.

Downward or sinking motion of air in the atmosphere. Subsiding air warms due to compression. Increasing temperature and decreasing humidities are present in subsiding air. Subsidence results in a stable atmosphere inhibiting dispersion. Subsidence is generally associated with high atmospheric pressure. 

An inversion caused by subsiding air, often resulting in decreased atmospheric mixing conditions.

The process of vegetational development whereby an area becomes successively occupied by different plant communities of higher ecological order.

In fire service, the number of feet (meters) of vertical lift from the surface of the water to the center of the pump impeller. In testing, e.g., fire department pumpers are required to discharge their rated capacity at 150 pounds (1034 kPa) net pump pressure at a 10-foot (3 meter) lift. The suction gauge would indicate the vertical suction lift in inches of mercury when the pump was primed with no appreciable water flowing. 

The adjective classification of the sky when 5/10 or less of the sky is obscured by clouds.

The mean solar times of sunset and sunrise as published in the Nautical Almanac, converted to local standard time for the locality concerned.

A minor thermal burn involving the outer layer of skin, i.e. "a sunburn". It is characterized by reddening of the skin and perhaps some swelling without blisters.