Forest Fire Planning, Organization and Methods of Control

Summary

Planning manpower and equipment requirements for the detection and extinction of forest fires begins with the division of the territory to be protected into zones of ground protection and of aerial protection.

The number of fire-fighting teams and the amount of transportation equipment allocated to them are determined on the basis of the average density of fires in the territory to be protected and the average firefighting efficiency of one team. In peak fire periods, reserve manpower and equipment can be called upon from other sectors.

The choice of means of transport for fire-fighting teams depends on the accessibility of the forest areas to be protected and the permissible fire development time.

The use of highly specialized fire engines is more effective than that of standard ones.

Freon emulsions are effective for extinguishing fires in the flame stage; in the carbonization stage, solutions and powders based on phosphate and ammonium salts are used. Knapsack units have been developed in which the extinguishing agent is propelled by compressed air, by conversion of freon 12 from the liquid to the gaseous state, or by means of a pump driven by a small internal combustion engine.

The use of tractor-mounted firebreak layers and ground markers with harrow-type cutters, and of extended-action explosive charges, appears promising.

Airborne fire-fighting equipment includes radio transmitters, noise intensification stations, infra-red systems, disembarkation equipment for parachutists and airborne fire-fighters, equipment for aerial spraying with water and retardant solutions, and equipment for artificial precipitation induction above the burning area.

A promising method of aerial extinction of fires is by laying down long-acting firebreaks.

The most effective retardants are solutions based on phosphate and ammonium salts. Large fires can be successfully extinguished if the resources for controlling them are put into service faster than the area is burning.

The method of artificial precipitation induction is effective in controlling large protracted fires. Supplementary cloud cover is more likely to be found in areas where the fire hazard is greater than in those where it is lower. This fact indirectly confirms the significance of lightning as a cause of forest fire outbreaks.

Over the long term, it is desirable to develop technology and equipment to ensure the localization and extinction of forest fires directly from the air, leaving the functions of control and observation to ground teams.