Benefits of the Wildland Fire Behavior Specialist
In New Brunswick Canada
By
R. L. Tex Smith
WFBS, FR III, CFT0013, DFSO
April 20, 2002
Benefits of the Wildland Fire Behavior Specialist in
New Brunswick Canada
By
RL Tex Smith
WFBS, FR III, CFT 0013, DFSO
April 20, 2002
Objective: The objective of this writing is to briefly touch on some of the benefits of using a Wildland Fire Behavior Specialist (WFBS) in wildland fire situations.
To show when fires are up and going, after they have been declared out, and before they start, the WFBS can prove to be a very valuable resource.
Disclaimer: Although the opinions put forth in this writing have been greatly influenced by others, other writings, experience, and teachings, they are still the opinions of the author.
Further, it should be duly noted that the author intends no malicious contempt. No demands are being placed on any one. The intent is to provide information only.
Wildland Fire Behavior Forecast:
Prior to a fire occurrence, the WFBS can be of great benefit. Firefighter safety is and should be the WFBS number one priority. From this standpoint the fire behavior forecast is of vital importance to those individuals who may find themselves on the fire line before the day is at an end.
From a manager’s view, the fire behavior forecast allows for a more informed decision where man power and equipment placements are concerned.
The WFBS examines in a very comprehensive way, all the variables that influence how a fire ignites and spreads in a given fuel type, over specific topography, given present and expected weather parameters. This requires the complete and undivided attention of the WFBS.
In the past there have been many days where the Fire Weather Index System (FWI) provided a signal of impending dangerous fire behavior. As valuable as this information is, the information provides numerical ratings of relative fire potential. This information is provided for level ground in a homogeneous fuel type, given weather readings that are taken at 13:00 hours, local daylight time.
The information recorded is in the form of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, and rainfall amounts. From these readings in conjunction with yesterday’s moisture codes, the FWI system then determines three moisture codes within the system, as well as three fire behavior indices.
Experience shows that on many occasions’ people take the indices and moisture codes to be for the time the weather is taken. This is not the case.
The codes and indices determined by the FWI system at 13:00 hours local daylight time, are projections as to what they will be at the peak of the burning period, 17:00 hours, on that given day. These readings would only be relative provided conditions remain consistent.
To further stress the relative nature of the FWI system, the following example is given. If the Initial Spread Index (ISI) is 8, which would be rated as high in New Brunswick, we can deduce that the fire will likely spread fast. However, no measurement of how fast is available. We can merely say the fire should spread fast. Thus we see the relative nature of the FWI system.
The WFBS works with the Wildland Fire Behavior Prediction System (FBP). The FBP system is very dependent upon the FWI system. Therefore the WFBS must be very proficient with both systems.
The FBP system is more quantitative in nature. For example, if a firefighter or a manager is told that the fire will spread at 20 meters per minute, time frames to work within can easily be determined. Thus the FBP system is quantitative.
Beyond this, the WFBS through the use of the FBP system, is able to deal with fire spreading on slope.
Through use of systems such as FBP and FWI, the WFBS can determine other things for the firefighter or manager that are very beneficial. Fire intensity, fuel consumption, fire description, elliptical fire area, length of perimeter, and rate of perimeter growth, are some of the key things a WFBS can provide.
Because of the complexity of the information that a WFBS must deal with in order to produce a credible fire behavior forecast, constant study and practice is essential.
For the WFBS to further be credible in a court of law, for example, constant study and practice can not be over stated.
On many occasions in the past, a blatant disregard for dangerous FWI readings has been witnessed. It was once and still is, to a certain degree, normal procedure for firefighters and managers alike, to look at only one index within the FWI system to base their decisions upon.
The single index that some people use to base their decisions is the Fire Weather Index. This is only a relative indicator of how intense a fire could be. The other indices are of great importance too. All moisture codes and indices are provided daily for the purpose of decision making.
The WFBS in conjunction with the FBP system, and the FWI system, compiles a fire behavior forecast. This essentially incorporates all of the indices into the forecast. Thus providing better information in a quantitative manner.
Another danger that can’t be overstated, in relying solely on the overall fire weather index, is the fact that on many occasions the fire weather index may be in a state of moderate, while one or more of the other indices or codes could be indicating extreme.
There have also been many occasions in the past when severe fire weather was indicated by FWI readings. On many of these days the fire weather readings were ignored. Catastrophic fires could have easily occurred. This is a common denominator on fatality and near miss fires.
The fact that these types of fires never developed can be attributed to luck. On days when fires did develop during severe fire weather, where no attention was given to the codes or indices and tragic events were evaded, here too, luck was the determining factor.
We can not depend on blind luck forever. Eventually, if we continue with this trend we will get caught in a position of great embarrassment, or even worse, living with a tragedy for the rest of our days.
Through education and by using a WFBS’s who issues a daily fire behavior forecast, these types of neglect will occur less.
The fire manager, who ignores indications of impending fire danger, runs the risk of very close examination from those in positions of authority, from many different sources.
Fire Investigation: The WFBS can be of great service where fire investigations are concerned.
Assistance in determining the time of the fire start, direction of fire spread, and location of the fire head at a certain time, are among some of the benefits to a fire investigation.
Case Studies: Case studies conducted by WFBS of past fires are of great importance. They can aid in determining new fuel types. A strong well-developed database can be perfected through the use of case studies.
Case studies are a measure against observed fire behavior and predicted fire behavior. This is vital because it substantiates or negates a WFBS’s prediction. This can only serve to make for better predictions in the future. Thus firefighters will be safer and managers can make better decisions based on more accurate information.
Preparedness Planning: Decisions to man up are better made through the use of quantitative information that a WFBS can provide. Thousands of dollars can be saved in this area alone.
A huge portion of New Brunswick’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on the forest. If because of a fire behavior forecast or consultation with a WFBS a decision is made to man up in a certain area and a fire start is kept to a minimum size, the monetary savings could be in the millions.
All fires go through an acceleration period and the WFBS can provide the time this takes. This equates to a manager knowing how much response time initial attack has before the fire reaches a state of equilibrium rate of spread. A WFBS can also provide information as to the time it will take for a fire to become a continuous crown fire. These types of fires are best handled before they reach this station in their existence. Continuous crown fires in standing softwood can be devastating, very dangerous, and very costly.
Forest managers know the value of a mature stand of softwood. They know roughly how many meters cubed of volume they can expect to harvest from a given ha of forest land. They know the dollar value of a cubic meter of wood. Thus they know the dollar value of a given ha of forested land.
If a decision is made in conjunction with a WFBS that keeps a fire to one ha, rather than 10 000 ha because of proper man up in the correct place, the cost of providing a WFBS has just been paid for many times over, for many years to come. A WFBS only needs to do this once in his or her career to pay for their entire working life salary.
If in some way anything that a WFBS has said in a fire behavior forecast, fire situation, chat, direction, or classroom, a single firefighter is saved from a burn over, the cost can not be measured. There can be no money value placed on a person’s life. Firefighters are people too.
On Site Fire Information: The WFBS should be a consideration on every wildland fire. These people are trained to see things before they happen.
We are very good at reacting to things when they happen. We can take pride in this, for there are not many organizations that can boast about this the way we can. This being said, we now more than ever must learn to develop foresight. We have been trained over the years to get to a fire as quickly and safely as we can, then get the fire contained and under control. We have also done this very well. However, in so doing we were not aware of what was going on around us as much as we could and should have been.
We have been lucky. All one needs to do is talk to our staff, and it soon becomes apparent that very few, if any, wildland firefighters have not had close calls. Again we can not depend on luck forever.
By having a WFBS on site at the fire, awareness is stressed on every occasion. Incident Commanders (IC) can be better briefed as to what they can expect and in what time frame. This leads to better decisions on his or her part.
WFBS are alert and keep aware of the existing fire environment, on a constant basis. They are trained to recognize dangers unseen by the very busy suppression personnel. This is not to say that our people can continue to work with no regard as to what is going on around them, they must learn to be aware at all times too.
Their job is complex in as much as they must concentrate on the fire’s suppression. They have many things to think about, safety, suppression, equipment, safety zones, escape routes, air attack, and the list goes on.
An on site WFBS thinks of only one thing, albeit complicated, what is going to happen next, preferably before it does. This equates to safer firefighters.
The WFBS can also make long term predictions as to expected fire behavior for the next burning period and beyond. This gives the IC very valuable information. Information that he or she can make better decisions with.
The WFBS monitors conditions hourly, in some cases minute by minute. In our environment, there exists a host of micro- climates. Fire environments and weather can vary from one side of the fire to the other. This is another sound reason for having a WFBS on site as soon as possible.
The trained WFBS can make much better predictions on site than from a long distance away. If the predictions are better, then the decisions an IC makes will ultimately be better.
Evacuations: As the potential for urban interface fire continues to grow, the number of evacuation situations will grow as well.
People that are displaced from their homes are naturally very concerned. They want and deserve answers.
The use of a WFBS to help explain the situation is a definite benefit. In many other jurisdictions, IC's use the WFBS as a very valuable tool in these situations.
Media: It is a huge benefit to have a trained WFBS deal with the media in conjunction with the information officer. Questions that are truthfully answered in a professional way based on strong knowledge pay dividends.
The media is not our enemy, if used properly; we can reap huge benefits from cooperating with them. We should never ignore the press; it always comes back to haunt us if we do.
Litigation: As time goes on, it will become more common place to find ourselves involved in litigation in one form or another, and from both sides of the coin. This is just something that we will have to get used to; it is a fact of life.
A WFBS can and should be a key player where litigations are concerned. Rest assured there will be a WFBS on the opposite side of the courtroom.
No longer will we be able to say we pulled our people off the fire because it was too hot. The courts expect a more technical answer. A WFBS can provide these answers.
If the WFBS is to be considered credible in court, certain things must happen. The WFBS must be able to show that they have been actually practicing what they were trained to do. They will have to show that they have continued their education. They will have to show that they have been provided with the proper tools to do the job.
There are ways to achieve this; issuing fire behavior forecast on a daily basis is one way. Getting to as many fires in the role of fire behavior officer is another. Involving themselves with training both as an instructor and student is yet another. Presentations to the public for the benefit of education are also very important.
Fuel Typing: The WFBS is a key player in the fuel typing and on going monitoring of the fuels in New Brunswick. This is a crucial step for the Province. The WFBS has to play a very demanding role where this is concerned.
Fire Smart Communities: The WFBS can play a very important role in advising communities as to the best and most effective ways to make their communities fire smart thus safer in the event of a fire.
Fire Smart Forest: The WFBS can play a very important role in helping to create fire smart forest. This is a concept that should be regarded with the highest degree of concern.
Conclusion: The number one priority of a WFBS is and should be firefighter safety. It is common for things only to change after a tragic event. It is the opinion of this WFBS that this is not acceptable. One burn over is one too many, it should never happen.
Our most valuable resource is our people and they deserve the best protection possible. Fighting fire is a dangerous job, even with the use of WFBS, tragedies can still occur. By using a WFBS to their greatest potential, a decrease in the chance of a tragedy is more likely.
The Westray mine disaster in Nova Scotia has a very close tie with wildland fire fighting. In as much as certain unsafe conditions were identified prior to the disaster. In closing I will quote Justice K. Peter Richard from his 750-page public inquiry report, from the Westray disaster, December 1, 1997.
"Never let the risks outweigh the benefits"
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