NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

An area that has reburned.

Repeat burning of an area over which a fire has previously passed, but left fuel that later ignites when burning conditions are more favorable.

To examine a fire area to obtain information about current and probable fire behavior and other related fire suppression information.

Individuals within ICS organizational units who are responsible for recording information. Recorders may be found in planning, logistics and finance/administration units.

The increase in fuel moisture as a result of increased relative humidity, usually occurring overnight.

The general term used to describe the maximum overnight value of atmospheric relative humidity.

A fire resulting from recreational use, except smoking.

Training scheduled at established intervals that has been identified as required training in order to maintain position currency.

Term used by fire weather forecasters to alert forecast users to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern.

A frame on which hose is wound, now chiefly used for "booster" or small hose (3/4- or l-inch hose) (19 or 25 mm) supplied by a water tank on the apparatus; also, a hand-drawn 2-wheel frame for 2-1/2 inch (64 mm) hose used in industrial plants.

A fixed location(s) used in correlation with field measurements to document spatial relationships between items of interest at the scene.

Above Unit in hierarchy, Relates to Department, Agencies

Day/Month/Year officially accepted by the region program manager as meeting all region requirements to receive funds in the planned year.

Visibility impairment caused by the cumulative air pollutant emissions from numerous sources over a wide geographic area.

Includes any individual hired under authorities other than the AD Pay Plan for Emergency Workers. Federal general schedule and federal wage system employees are included in this category.

Efforts undertaken within three years of a wildland fire to repair or improve fire damaged lands unlikely to recover to a management approved conditions or to repair or replace minor facilities damaged by fire.

Re-ignition due to latent heat, sparks, or embers or due to presence of smoke or steam.

An NDVI-derived image of vegetation greenness compared to how green it has been historically.

The ratio of the amount of moisture in the air, to the maximum amount of moisture that air would contain if it were saturated. The ratio of the actual vapor pressure to the saturated vapor pressure.

Use of two or more fire pumps to move water a distance which would require excessive pressures in order to overcome friction loss if only one pump were employed at the source.

A tank, usually collapsible, used as a reservoir in the relay of water from one fire pump to another.

The order that defines when personnel and/or equipment will be ready for release from an incident.

A pressure-controlled device which bypasses water at a fire pump to prevent excessive pressures when a nozzle is shut down.

An airfield where airtankers are reloaded but not permanently stationed.

A weather station that transmits weather observations via GOES satellite to the Wildland Fire Management Information system.

A radio signal station that automatically relays a radio transmission, sometimes over a different frequency, thereby increasing the range of transmission. Repeaters are often named for the mountaintops or peaks where they are installed.

Elapsed time from fire discovery until the first personnel charged with initiating action for fire suppression are notified of its existence and location.

Any wildfire that requires fire suppression to protect natural resources or values associated with natural resources, or is destructive to natural resources.

Location or facilities where incoming resources can check-in at the incident. Check-in locations include: incident command post (resources unit), incident base, camps, staging areas, helibases, helispots, and direct to the line. Check-in at one location only. 

The entity submitting a given incident report.

As resources are ordered to respond to an incident, Request Numbers (occasionally referred to as a resource order number) are issued. The order number includes the incident number, an alpha character (S = Supplies, E = Equipment, O = Overhead, A = Aircraft, C = Crews, M = Agency Provided Medical Care) followed by a sequential number.

Documented, satisfactory performance in a specified position needed to qualify for another (usually higher level) position. Required experience cannot be challenged.

A course or courses that must be completed prior to initiating a position task book. Training which has been identified as required cannot be challenged; an agency equivalent course may be used as a substitute when the course meets or exceeds a required course's learning and performance objectives. 

Saving a life from fire or accident; removing a victim from an untenable or unhealthy atmosphere.

Any staffed ground vehicle capable of providing medical services.

Any staffed ground vehicle capable of providing emergency medical care and staffed with appropriate number of trained personnel and equipment for that incident.

In wildland fire suppression terminology resources not assigned to a specific task, but available for assignment.

The time, in seconds, required for the flaming front of a fire to pass a stationary point at the surface of the fuel. The total length of time that the flaming front of the fire occupies one point.

The total number of residences destroyed, or damaged to an extent requiring rebuilding, as a result of the fire. Residence is defined as a place where one lives; a house, apartment, or other shelter used as the residence of a person, family or household. This includes primary and secondary residences.

The total number of residences threatened by the fire. Residence is defined as a place where one lives; a house, apartment, or other shelter used as the residence of a person, family or household. This includes primary and secondary residences. Residences are threatened if they are at risk of loss or damage, or endangered during the course of the fire. This includes, but is not limited to, residences subject to mandatory evacuation.

The smoldering zone behind the zone of an advancing fire front.

Smoke produced by smoldering material. The flux of smoke originating well after the active flaming combustion period with little or no vertical buoyancy and, therefore, most susceptible to subsidence inversions and down-valley flows.

In general, the ability of a system (ecological or human) to resist damage and recover from a disturbance. In ecology, resilience refers to the ability of the system to return to the pre-disturbed state with no assessment of whether that state is desirable or not. From a social perspective, resilience references the ability to return to the original state but also refers to the ability to recover to a state more likely to resist or recover quickly from future disturbances.

At a general level used to refer to the ability of a system (ecological or human) to resist damage and recover from a disturbance. In ecology, resiliency tends to refer to the ability of the system to return to the pre disturbance state with no assessment of whether that state is desirable or not. From a social perspective, resilience may reference ability to return to the original state but also can refer to the ability to recover to a state more likely to resist or recover quickly from future disturbance.

The relative difficulty of constructing and holding a control line as affected by resistance to line construction and by fire behavior.

The relative difficulty of constructing control line as determined by the fuel, topography, and soil.

The ability of the wildland fire program to respond to current and anticipated workload needs for the area of concern.

The competency level in which the overhead resource is qualified to perform a position. May also be used to define how the resource performed on a specific incident. In both cases the capacity is defined as “trainee” or “qualified”.