Reviews of past fire shelter deployments have shown that some firefighters deployed fire shelters that had been damaged through years of normal use. Periodic inspections throughout the fire season would have prevented these fire shelters from being deployed in life-threatening situations.
What Happens to Fire Shelters When They Are Carried?
Equipment specialists from National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) inspected shelters and their polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags to determine what happens to shelters carried by firefighters. Some inspected fire shelters appeared to have had little wear, while others showed more extensive wear.
Inspection of these shelters revealed a correlation between the condition of a shelter and the wear shown on the PVC bag.
Three common signs of excessive wear visible on the PVC bag include:
- The bag has turned dark gray
- The presence of holes
- The presence of water or condensation
A PVC bag turns dark gray when aluminum rubs off the shelter onto the inside of the bag. The more aluminum that rubs off, the more likely the shelter has been damaged. Simply carrying a fire shelter throughout a fire season could cause this kind of damage.
Holes in the PVC bag allow debris (ash, dirt, and sand) and water into the bag. Debris inside the bag abrades the shelter’s outer layers. Large and/or many small holes in the PVC bag increases the likelihood debris will enter and damage the shelter.
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) released an Equipment Advisory with instructions on how to retrofit the PVC bag. Shelters retrofitted correctly will have a ¼-inch slit at each pull tab of the red tear strip. These slits should not be considered holes during an inspection. Refer to the Equipment Advisory for retrofitting information.
A white film or dust on the aluminum foil is a sign of corrosion, an indicator that water entered the PVC bag. A fire shelter with signs of corrosion may be difficult to shake open during deployment. Water may also break down the laminate bonds between the aluminum foil and the silica and fiberglass cloth, even causing the folded shelter to stick together, hindering deployment.
Figure 1 You should inspect your fire shelter once you receive it and periodically throughout the season.
In some cases, the PVC bags show signs of extensive wear, but the shelters inside are still serviceable. In these cases, the shelter may be rebagged.
Use the NWCG Fire Shelter Inspection Flowchart to determine whether a shelter is serviceable, should be rebagged, or taken out of service (see Figure 1).
Rebagging may extend the service life of a fire shelter. Fire shelters must be assessed using the inspection flowchart. Shelters that do not meet the inspection criteria for rebagging should be removed from service.
What You Should Inspect
- Inspect the fire shelter and PVC bag looking for damage and wear. Shelters and bags than do not pass the Fire Shelter Inspection Flowchart should be removed from service.
- Check the red tear strip and the score line on the PVC bag to ensure it is unbroken and the two red pull rings are intact. If the red tear strip or rings are broken, remove the shelter from service. To assess any openings along the score line, refer to the Fire Shelter Inspection Flowchart.
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Inspect the hard plastic liner that protects your shelter when carried in your fireline pack, or the carry case if you use one. Check to see if the shelter slides easily in and out of the liner (see Figure 2). If the liner has been exposed to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, it can shrink, causing the shelter to become difficult to remove. If the shelter is difficult to remove from the liner, replace the liner with a serviceable one.
Figure 2 Check that your shelter slides in and out of the liner easily. If not, replace the liner with a new one.
- Shelters that have been removed from service make excellent training aids but should be clearly marked “OUT OF SERVICE FOR TRAINING ONLY” and stored separately from line-going shelters so they do not accidentally reach the fireline (see Figure 3).
The shelter has an indefinite shelf life because its materials do not degrade in normal storage. Nevertheless, all shelters should be inspected when they are issued and frequently throughout the fire season. Only serviceable fire shelters should be taken to the fireline. Don’t assume that a new carrying case contains a new shelter. Shelters with the oldest manufacture dates should be issued first to prevent an accumulation of older manufacturing dates in caches.
Figure 3 An out of service shelter used for training only.
DO NOT SEND FIRE SHELTERS TO BE REBAGGED
THAT DO NOT MEET THE INSPECTION FLOWCHART CRITERIA
There are two fire shelter manufacturers and the PVC bag manufacturer that may be used for rebagging fire shelters. Local units are responsible for making arrangements to have their fire shelters rebagged. For more information about rebagging shelters, contact one of the following:
Fire Shelter Inspection
