NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

Decomposition of material by the application of heat and oxidation. Also applied to propellants and other pyrotechnic mixtures, though the proper term there is "reacting". Also often an element of the crime of arson.

A declared ban on open air burning within a specified area, usually due to sustained high fire danger.

The state of the combined factors of the environment that affect fire behavior in a specified fuel type.

A relative number related to the contribution that fire behavior makes to the amount or effort needed to contain a fire in a specified fuel type. Doubling the burning index indicates that twice the effort will be required to contain a fire in that fuel type as was previously required, providing all other parameters are held constant. 

An estimate of the potential difficulty of fire containment as it relates to the flame length at the head of the fire.

A device used to determine the burning index for different combinations of burning index factors.

Setting fire inside a control line to consume fuel located between the edge of the fire and the control line.

That part of each 24-hour period when fires spread most rapidly; typically from 10:00 AM to sundown.

System of rating slash to indicate the treatment objective, whether or not burning is required to meet that objective, the fuel treatment necessary to achieve successful burning, and the time of year burning should occur.

Rate at which a propellant and other combustibles burn.

The planned number of years between prescribed fires on a specified area.

A flame generating device (e.g., a fount containing diesel oil or kerosene and a wick, or a backpack pump serving a flame-jet).

An event in which a fire moves through a location or overtakes personnel or equipment where there is no opportunity to utilize escape routes and safety zones, often resulting in personal injury or equipment damage.

A team that supports one or more incidents and is authorized to procure a wide range of services, supplies, and land and equipment rentals. In addition, the Buying Team Leader has the responsibility of coordinating property accountability with the Supply Unit Leader.

According to the American Meteorological Society, a law describing the relationship of the horizontal wind direction in the atmosphere to the pressure distribution; if one stands with the back to the wind, the pressure to the left is lower than to the right in the Northern Hemisphere.

A pre-determined complement of tools, equipment and/or supplies stored in a designated location, available for incident use.

A measure of acres calculated (i.e., infrared) from a geospatial perimeter of a fire. More specifically, the number of acres within the current perimeter of a specific, individual incident, including unburned and unburnable islands.

Measurement of the area estimated to be treated by a planned action. derive from perimeter

Evaluation of all factors pertinent to probable future behavior of a going fire and of the potential ability of available forces to perform fire suppression operations on a specified time schedule.

Indicated airspeed of an aircraft, corrected for position and instrument error. Equal to true airspeed in standard atmosphere at sea level.

A geographical site within the general incident area (separate from the Incident Base) that is equipped and staffed to provide sleeping, food, water, and sanitary services to incident personnel.

Date treatment or activity status changed to Cancelled

The burning of the foliage of a single tree or a small group of trees, from the bottom up.

The stratum containing the crowns of the tallest vegetation present (living or dead), usually above 20 feet.

The extent of someone's or something's ability to support a wildland fire.

A colorless, odorless, nonpoisonous gas, which results from fuel combustion and is normally a part of the ambient air.

A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced by incomplete fuel combustion.

Any substance that can cause or contribute to the production of cancer.

Odd or "even" thousand-foot (305 m) altitudes or flight levels. E.g., 5,000, 6,000, 7,000; FL 250, FL 260, and FL 270.

North, south, east, west; used for giving directions and information from the ground or air in describing the fire (e.g., the west flank or east flank, not right flank or left flank).

A parachute designed and rigged for dropping equipment and supplies from an aircraft.

An internal area of an aircraft specifically designed to carry baggage or cargo.

Dropping of equipment or supplies, with or without a parachute, from an aircraft in flight.

Mechanically and electrically operated hook attached to the bottom of a helicopter to which a sling load is attached.

Net attached to the cargo hook of a helicopter, used to carry cargo.

Externally mounted rack for transporting supplies or cargo aboard a helicopter.

A remote hook attached to the end of a longline. It has four or more individual hooks which can be independently released, allowing the pilot to fly cargo loads to different locations without landing.

Booster hose carried full of water during mild weather to speed discharge of water on fire without filling or priming from tank.

The fuels that support the flaming front of the moving fire.

A person hired and compensated under the Pay Plan for Emergency Workers.

Mid-level, parent grouping to sort and filter actions planned and implemented to address threats mitigated by the wildland fire management program.

A numerical index related to the ability of the atmosphere to disperse smoke. Different agencies use different scales [e.g., in South Carolina, the current scale is based on ventilation factor and ranges from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)].

Defect on the surface of a tree resulting from a wound where healing has not re-established the normal cross-section.

According to the American Meteorological Society, the height ascribed to the lowest layer of clouds or obscuring phenomena when it is reported as broken, overcast, or obscuration and not classified "thin" or "partial." The ceiling is termed unlimited when the foregoing conditions are not satisfied.

According to the American Meteorological Society, same as centigrade temperature scale, by convention. Centigrade temperature scale is a temperature scale with the ice point of water at 0 degrees and the boiling point at 100 degrees.

Method of broadcast burning in which fire is ignited in the center of the area to create a strong draft; additional fires are then ignited progressively nearer the outer control lines (sometimes in one step) as indraft increases so as to draw the flames and smoke toward the center. 

The city and state pairing for the dispatch center location

Pump which expels water by centrifugal force through the ports of a circular impeller rotating at high speed. With this type of pump, the discharge line may be shut off while the pump is running without damaging the pump or hose.

The agency official at the home unit who is responsible for authorizing and granting position certification per agency policy. The agency official is responsible for completing the agency certification block located on the inside front cover of a Position Task Book. 

Unit of measure in land survey, equal to 66 feet (20 M) (80 chains equal 1 mile). Commonly used to report fire perimeters and other fireline distances, this unit is popular in fire management because of its convenience in calculating acreage (e.g., 10 square chains equal one acre).