Craters of the Moon National Monument
VII. Wildland Fire Management
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Wildland Fire Management Plan Craters of the Moon National Monument VII. Wildland Fire Management |
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Interagency recognition of risks and expenses associated with wildland fire management culminated in a December 1995 Final Report of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and Program Review, issued by a team of fire management experts. The Secretary of the Interior has accepted and endorsed the principles, policies, and recommendations contained in the report, and has directed the NPS to implement them. NPS fire management activities will be performed in accordance with the principles, policies, and recommendations of the Final Report of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and Program Reviews (DO-18).
The document, "Wildland and Prescribed Fire Management Policy, Implementation Procedures Reference Guide," represents an interagency effort designed to provide standardized procedures to guide immediate implementation of the policy described in the 1995 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and Program Review. The CRMO Fire Management Plan incorporates in the implementation procedures, including the use of Wildland Fire Implementation Plans and Wildland Fire Situation Analysis, from the Reference Guide.
Much of this section is based on The Wildland and Prescribed Fire Policy Implementation and Reference Guide 1998. It is imperative that the user of this fire management plan become familiar with that guide.
A. General Management Considerations
The Wildland Fire Implementation Plan, Stage I, provides the decision framework for selecting the appropriate management response. The Stage I analysis includes the initial fire assessment and the go/no go decision criteria checklist. It documents the current and predicted situation and all appropriate administrative information. It also provides the manager with decision criteria to make the initial decision of whether to manage the fire for resource benefits or to take suppression action. Refer to page 34, Chapter 4, Reference Guide.
1. General Management Plan (GMP) Review
Prior to determining the appropriate management response, it is important for the decision-maker to understand the (GMP) direction and how it can be applied to wildland fire.
The CRMO GMP, provides direction: "The present practice of suppressing all wildland fires in the monument presents problems because much of the monument is inaccessible. Fire suppression costs are high relative to the benefit, since there is very little to burn in most places and the policy of total suppression does not conform to the modified suppression of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which manages adjacent lands."
Consequently, appropriate management responses should not arbitrarily seek to limit fire size. Rather, they should be based on:
2. Decision criteria checklist for a go/no go decision
The decision elements in the Decision Criteria Checklist included in the Wildland and Prescribed Fire Management Policy: Implementation Procedures Reference Guide, should be considered and evaluated carefully by informed and knowledgeable Monument staff. The final element (Are there other agency administrator issues that preclude wildland fire use?) should evaluate items such as:
1. Rationale for Fire Management Strategies
Fire is an integral component of the CRMO ecosystem and is an appropriate tool for managing natural resources at the monument. Wildland fire managed for resource benefits will produce a wide range of fire intensities and severity, Diverse fire effects will result in mosaics of vegetation composition and age classes across the monument landscape. The diversity of plant and animal species will result in a more resilient ecosystem.
2. Objectives of Wildland Fire Use
The objective of the wildland fire use program is to allow natural ignitions to restore fire as an ecological process that native plant communities in density, age classes, and convert dense sagebrush stands to herbaceous cover. The broken topography and expansive natural barriers to fire will generally confine these fires to sizes less than 1,000 acres. However, a 1,000 acre limit to the size of these fires is not a fire management plan objective. Wildland fire use will only be considered for fires resulting from natural ignitions within Fire Management Units 2 or 3.
3. General Plan for Wildland Fire Use
The general plan for wildland fire use will prepare CRMO for effectively managing wildland fire use operations.
January-June (preseason):
May-October (fire season):
If wildland fire complexity escalates to Stage II of the Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP), or during multiple Stage I/II fires, the staff of CRMO will require assistance to complete fire spread modeling and Maximum Manageable Area (MMA) development. CRMO should resource order a Prescribed Fire Behavior Analyst (RXFA) during these periods of higher complexity to assist in planning and documentation of wildland fires.
Superintendent
Responsible for making the Go/No Go Decision, signing the Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP) and periodic assessment to validate the WFIP decision. Declares park closures when needed. Will issue a written delegation of authority in the event a Fire Use Management Team is assigned to a wildland fire use project at CRMO. Ensures that fire information is managed as described in CRMO fire management plan.
Collateral-duty Fire Management Officer /Chief Ranger
Responsible for ensuring that the FMP fire preparedness and suppression programs are managed within RM-18 guidelines. Provides technical assistance in respect to WFIP planning, staffing assistance in respect to monitoring and advisory assistance in terms of escalating staffing due to increases in complexity and fire behavior. Evaluates fire activity in terms of public and employee safety and makes recommendations to the superintendent for closures. Patrols to ensure closures are enforced. Designs and implements the park evacuation plan at the discretion of the superintendent.
Chief of Resources Management
Ensures that a comprehensive fire management plan at the monument is developed and implemented. Responsible for analyzing fire weather and fire season severity to support fire use decisions, preparing WFIP stage I and the Relative Risk Rating Chart on all candidate wildland use fires. Establishes the review timeframes for periodic assessment on all declared wildland fire use projects. Completes or assists with WFIP Stage II, coordinates with state air quality, local wildland fire agencies and orders resources as needed, such as monitors, prescribed fire behavior analyst or a Fire Use Management Team. Provides input into Maximum Manageable Area (MMA) and long term risk assessment in accordance with Stage III.
Duty Officer(out of park resource until training targets are reached)
A duty officer will be available throughout the season for coordinating initial attack/extended attack on wildland fires within monument boundaries. The Duty Officer will be a qualified Division Group Supervisor or Type III IC as a minimum. If these skills are not available through monument personnel, assistance from outside sources will be solicited. The monument will seek to maintain at least one qualified duty officer.
Administrative Officer
Acts as comptroller for project. Tracks expenditures daily against the fire account, reports expenditures to the superintendent and prepares a final financial package as an official record of the project that will be reviewed during program audits.
Prescribed Fire Behavior Specialist- RXFS (out of park resource until training targets are reached)
Facilitates the information gathering, analysis, planning and implementation of WFIP. May be pre-positioned in the park when fire weather is conducive to wildland fire use. Must be on site within 12 hours of a WFIP Stage I "go" decision.
Prescribed Fire Behavior Analyst - RXFA (out of park resource)
Performs long term risk assessment using advanced fire spread modeling technology. Models smoke emission and transport for documenting air quality impacts. Provides input into MMA and decision trigger point development. Should be ordered when complexity is anticipated to escalate beyond stage II.
Prescribed Fire Behavior Monitor (out of park resource until training targets are reached)
Monitors and documents fire weather, behavior, fuel consumption and map location. Provides feedback to the Chief of Resources Management in terms of fire use and resource management objectives. May be pre-positioned in the park when fire weather is conducive to wildland fire use. Must be on site within 12 hours of a WFIP Stage I "go" decision.
External Resources
5. Factors to be Monitored for Decision-Making
Factors that must be monitored in order to make informed wildland fire use decisions are listed below. The application and source of each factor are also listed. These factors must be monitored daily when considering wildland fire use decisions.
| Factor | Application | Source |
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| NFDRS | Relative Fire Danger | BLM Station Shoshone |
| Historical Weather Data | Risk Assessment | CRMO Station 102260 |
| Regional fire Activity | Resource Availability | BLM Fire Dispatch |
| Smoke emissions | Air Quality | ID Air Quality Division |
| KBDI | Drought Index | BLM Shoshone |
| Live Fuel Moisture | Fire Behavior Prediction | BLM Shoshone |
| Fire Weather | Fire Behavior/Danger | National Weather Service |
6. Relationship of WFU and Step-up Plan
The monument fire suppression preparedness step-up plan will also serve as a wildland fire use step-up plan, as both activities use the same data inputs and outputs.
7. Preplanned Implementation Procedures
All wildland fire use activities on the monument will follow procedures outlined in the Implementation Policy. There are no pre-planned activities, except staffing step-up, as outlined in the monument step-up plan and a fire exclusion strategy in all of Fire Management Unit 1.
8. Implementation Procedures not Preplanned
Those activities that are not pre-planned include established maximum manageable area (MMA), Decision Criteria Checklists, Risk Assessment, Complexity Analysis or Periodic Assessment interval. All of these planning items will be detailed at the onset of a wildland fire use project in the timeline established in the Implementation Policy.
Wildland fire use operations have the potential to be less intensely managed than suppression activities, and as a result be less costly. As such, a critical element of the wildland fire use program is to capture the data that proves this out. All costs associated with wildland fire use projects will be tracked by day. Costs will include all personnel services, service contracts, aircraft, supplies and equipment procurement. This should be captured on a spread sheet and included in the fire history record.
10. Outline for Project Records
It is critical that wildland fire use project records be maintained for future reference, especially if controversy surrounds the fire, such as air quality complaints. All wildland fires managed for resource benefits will be mapped with GPS and the coordinates archived as a GIS data layer. Other records should include:
When Wildland Fire Use projects are implemented, information should be made available to the public to ensure understanding, acceptance, and support. Provide local media (newspapers, radio, and television) with briefings and photo/interview opportunities. Ensure entrance station staff are briefed and provide information concerning status of WFU to monument visitors. Coordinate with other agency public information specialists to ensure a consistent message is provided to the public. If WFU operation persists for extended periods and burns substantial area, consider ordering a public information specialist.
12. Potential Impacts of Plan Implementation
The potential external impacts of implementing a wildland fire use program at the Monument should be minimal. The topography and fuels of the area will not normally support large fire growth or long term extreme fire behavior. Extensive natural barriers to fire spread exists over much of the monument. As such, the threat of fires breaching well thought out MMA's is not great.
The Upper Snake River air-shed may be impacted during short or long term events. Ongoing wildland fires and/or agricultural burning as well as weather conditions will be factored in WFU go/no go decisions. Emission and dispersal modeling will be very important to defend wildland fire use decisions. Air quality monitoring may become necessary if the emissions of the program approaches NAAQS PM 10 thresholds in the monument.
Road closures for public safety may also generate impacts on public use. As a result, the monument must be prepared to deal with public information requests.
Wildland fire use projects will also result in internal impacts to the monument. Supporting these projects will require a substantial commitment of staff time. While non-local resources can be mobilized to assist with these fires, local staff will certainly be required to participate in data acquisition, analysis, decision support, plan implementation and evaluation. However, as the program evolves and becomes productive, it will generate a statistical database in the FIREPRO budget allocation process where positions and funding is awarded. As such, fire management staff could be expected to increase and lessen the impacts of fires over time.
13. Exceeding existing WFIP - Selecting a New Strategy
a. Situations requiring a new strategy
A new strategy must be developed if a wildland fire use project exceeds the periodic assessment or the fire leaves the MMA boundary. A new strategy may need to be developed if the regional or national fire situation escalates and fire management resources are in short supply.
b. Information used to set incident priorities
Priorities for action if a fire requires a new strategy should be based first on safety of the public and firefighters. Other secondary priorities include protection of private property and monument resources and improvements. Locations of sensitive resources (archaeological sites and sensitive plants and animals) can be identified from Resource Management staff and/or maps. Safety hazards should be identified by Ranger and Maintenance staff.
c. Implementation plan requirements
Use the incident action plan to develop organization. Use strategy and tactics that have been successful in the past. Take care to ensure MIST is not forgotten in the efforts to return the fire use action to prescription.
1. Range of Potential Fire Behavior
Fire behavior in the monument can range from fast moving surface fires in light fuels to stand replacement fires in more dense stands of trees. For more detailed discussion refer to the fire behavior descriptions in Section IV.
Fire prevention includes all activities designed to reduce the number of human-caused wildfires that occur in the monument. The objective of the program will be to minimize preventable fires.
Prevention activities for CRMO may include prevention signing, prevention messages through interpreters and staff and prevention patrols during periods of very high fire danger (Staffing Classes IV and V). Associated with prevention messages will be wildland fire use educational and project awareness messages tailored for the public.
Fire prevention and wildland fire use will be discussed at selected staff safety meetings in the early spring to make sure all members are aware of concerns and procedures regarding response to wildfires and actions related to prescribed and wildland use fires.
The monument may participate in fire prevention and safety fairs at local schools so that the general public is aware of the importance of fire prevention.
During periods of high fire danger (SC IV-V), the general public and park visitors will be informed of conditions through press releases, interpretive media and, if necessary, the posting of signs at monument entrances, the visitor center, and the campground. The prohibition on open fires will be extended to the Group Campground, Research Camp and amphitheater. Fuels along the section of Goodale's Cutoff west of the North End Road should be assessed to determine whether vehicle traffic should be curtailed due to the danger of accidental ignition from vehicle exhaust systems.
The first week of July is historically a high fire danger period. During this week, the visiting public will be reminded of the 36 CFR regulations regarding the use of fireworks in the monument, and the policy regarding contained fires. Patrols will be alert to fireworks use and illegal fires in the campground or wilderness.
Annual training will consist of annual fire fighter safety refresher training, first aid and other safety training for appropriate individuals. As an IC Type III should be on site (or available within two hours) throughout the fire season, this should be a training priority for CRMO.
January
April
May
Mid-May to Mid-October (fire season)
1st Week of July
November
The Superintendent or FMO has the ability to bump up one preparedness staffing class for unusual monument events that would increase the potential for wildland fire.
Preparedness activities during the fire season are based on the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS). Fire days are broadly divided into five staffing classes according to the intensity of danger factors as indicated by the Burning Index (BI). The BI integrates the effects of weather, fuels, and topography to estimate potential fire behavior and the corresponding amount of effort required to contain a fire. The staffing classes relate to the expected severity of fire conditions.
Staffing class levels are based on the cumulative frequency distribution of the BI. Class IV and V represent the 90th and 97th percentile, respectively , of historic BI's. CRMO will utilize Bi's calculated at the closest available BLM fire weather station.
Preparedness actions are based on the predicted fire weather before 1400 hours and on actual fire weather after 1400 hours for all staffing classes.
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Table 1. Burning Index and Staffing Class |
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0-10 |
I |
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11-20 |
II |
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21-39 |
III |
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40-46 |
IV |
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46+ |
V |
Fire conditions that typify each staffing class and the corresponding preparedness actions required are as follows:
Staffing Classes I and II (BI 0-20)
Conditions
Fires will present a low to moderate level of control difficulty. Fires occurring at this level may be controlled with existing forces. Wind speed and direction will determine severity of fire spread. Fine fuels will be drying.
Preparedness Actions
Suppression Actions
Conditions
Fires will present a moderate level of control difficulty. Light fuels are becoming dry. Heavy fuels are drying. Mop-up will be more difficult and time-consuming.
Preparedness Actions
Suppression Actions
All suppression actions indicated for Staffing Classes I and II will be taken.
Staffing Classes IV and V (BI >40)
Conditions
Fire will present a moderate to high level of control difficulty. Initial attack and reinforcing crews may have difficulty controlling a fire at this level. All fuels are dry. Air temperature is high and humidity is low. Strong gusty winds are possible. Spotting may occur.
Preparedness Actions
Suppression Actions
All actions specified for Staffing Class III days will be taken.
Due to the small size and scope of the fire program at Craters of the Moon National Monument, no formal pre-attack plan has been written. Certain preparations and procedures are however established prior to and during the fire season. Some are mentioned in the Annual Preparedness Activities section, other pre-attack plans are informally discussed among the five person fire crew during practice or equipment maintenance assemblies. The value of a written pre-attack plan, or checklist, is however recognized. Such preparation will inevitable emerge as the fire program evolves into a more complex and operationally committed program.
Fires occurring in FMU 1 will be considered of higher priority than fires occurring in FMU 2 or 3 (unless the latter fires pose a threat to structures or public safety). Fires occurring FMU 2 will be of higher priority than fires occurring in FMU 3. The following will be used to set priorities elsewhere.
Typical fire response times at CRMO vary depending on the staffing at the monument, other fire management activity in the local area, and time of day. During fire season when no other fire activity is occurring, and staffing is available, the CRMO light engine can respond to the nearest road access for fires within the monument within one hour in FMU 1 or 2 and up to three hours in FMU 3. Support from other agencies within BLM's Upper Snake River District area can respond to closest road access to a fire within three hours. Air tanker and helicopter attack can reach a fire within 1 hour. Support from outside the Upper Snake River dispatch area cannot be counted on arriving any sooner than eight hours after request.
b) Restrictions and special concerns by management area (FMU).
See Section IV of this plan for more detail.
FMU 1 - All initial attack should be aggressive to contain the fire as fast as possible to keep fires from leaving the Monument boundary and damaging private property. Take care to ensure MIST is used in efforts to contain undesirable wildland fires.
FMU 2 - Initial attack should be a reasoned response that considers the full range of available strategies. The proximity of fires to visitor use areas, visitor use numbers and the size of the area of having continuos fuel which would allow for fire spread should be considered. Fires burning in the sagebrush fuel type along Highway 93 (northeast of the headquarters complex) should be suppressed.
Should current or predicted (24 hours) burning indexes exceed 39 all fires in FMU 2 should be suppressed using appropriate management response. Ensure MIST guidelines are used in efforts to contain undesirable wildland fires.
FMU 3 - For Stage I "No Go" fire use decisions, initial attack should be a reasoned response that considers the full range of available strategies. All of FMU 3 is designated Wilderness and suppression activities must conform with DO-41 and RM-41.
c) Escaped wildland fires
Information that should be used to used to set incident priorities:
5. Extended Attack and Large Fire Suppression
Extended attack needs will be determined by considering the following:
Threats to life, property, and Monument resources
Availability of suppression forces
Current and expected fire behavior
Follow guidance in Wildland and Prescribed Fire Policy, Implementation Procedures Reference Guide and RM-18, Chapter 9.
Follow guidance in RM-18, Chapter 9, Initial and Extended Attack.
6. Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics
All suppression activities will be carried out in such a manner as to cause the least amount of resource damage. After the fire is declared out, all litter and trash will be removed. Dug fire-lines will be refilled and erosion control devices installed if necessary. Stumps will be flush cut. Logs and brush will be chopped and scattered or removed. The severity of the burn and its resultant impact will be considered in determining the need to seed or otherwise re-establish native plant species. Such efforts regarding landscaping and plants will be in full compliance with NPS Management Policies and given prior approval of the Regional Director. A rehabilitation plan, outlining what species are to be planted, techniques to be used, locations and cost estimates will be prepared before any action is taken.
The Chief Ranger (or collateral duty FMO) is responsible for all fire related records and reports except the WFIP. This responsibility may be delegated in an incoming Incident Management Team during an extended attack fire.
Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP)
Stage I of a wildland fire implementation plan will be prepared for every wildland fire and will be the responsibility of the Chief of Resources. Should the Stage I "Go/No Go" lead to a fire use (Go) decision, development of stage II and III of the WFIP will be the responsibility of the Fire Behavior Analyst.
Individual Fire Reports (DI-1202)
The basic report for documenting a wildland fire is the Individual Fire Report (DI-1202). The report is valuable as it provides an historical record of the fire regime for the monument. As such, it is important that all fires that occur within the boundaries be documented using, at a minimum, this form. This includes fires that go out on their own when the location can be documented. The DI-1202 is the basic document used by the Boise Interagency Fire Center to document a fire occurrence. Incidents known as Support Actions where monument personnel respond to fires outside the monument (including out of state) are reported on this form. It is impossible for an individual to receive credit for jobs performed on any fire unless NIFC has a record of that fire from the monument in the form of a DI-1202 and its attached Fire Number.
The Incident Commander for the fire is the person responsible for preparation of the Individual Fire Report. In most cases, this is the individual who put the fire out. That person may also want to complete a Case Incident Report (Form 10-343) for the fire but that would be in addition to the DI-1202. Fires will be sequentially assigned a fire number by calendar year, i.e. fires in 1989 are numbered 8901, 8902,etc.
A complete fire report will include the following attachments, if applicable:
The report is then submitted, in draft, to the Chief Ranger. Instructions for filling out the report are found in RM-18. That person will review the report for completeness. He/she will then enter the data into the monument database for permanent record keeping. That procedure also prepares a final draft of the form for the files. The information will also be entered into the Wildland Fire Management Computer System. Finally, a copy of the DI-1202 will be sent to the Regional Fire Management Officer for that person's records.
Fire Experience and Qualifications
The Wildland Fire Management Computer System at NIFC is the central repository for all individual fire experience and training records. The Chief Ranger/Collateral Duty FMO is the person responsible for entering all training and experience into the computer and ensuring the information is up to date.
Daily Situation Reports are required on those days when the Burning Index reaches the 90th percentile and the monument moves into Staffing Class IV and V or when a fire has occurred or is on-going. The Chief Ranger is responsible for the preparation of the report and entering it into the Wildland Fire Management Computer System by 9:30 a.m.
Smoke Management reports will be made by the Chief of Resources as agreed to with the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and any Federal Agencies.
When a report of a fire is received, the following information should be collected from the reporting party:
Resource Order Form, NFES 1470
All assistance requests must be documented on the Resource Order Form, NFES 1470. These forms are designed to be transmitted verbally over the telephone. The order form is, in essence, an obligating procurement document.
Whenever an out-of-park incident management team is ordered, the Superintendent must provide a written limited delegation of authority and a briefing package to the incoming Incident Commander.
Completion of year-end accomplishment reports are the responsibility of the collateral FMO or FMO.