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Terms and Definitions
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Safety Zone
An area cleared of flammable materials used for escape in the event the line is outflanked or in case a spot fire causes fuels outside the control line to render the line unsafe. In firing operations, crews progress so as to maintain a safety zone close at hand allowing the fuels inside the control line to be consumed before going ahead. Safety zones may also be constructed as integral parts of fuel breaks; they are greatly enlarged areas which can be used with relative safety by firefighters and their equipment in the event of a blowup in the vicinity.
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Scratch Line
An unfinished preliminary fireline hastily established or built as an emergency measure to check the spread of fire.
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Severity Funding
Funds provided to increase wildland fire suppression response capability necessitated by abnormal weather patterns, extended drought or other events causing abnormal increase in the fire potential and/or danger.
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Single Resource
An individual, a piece of equipment and its personnel complement, or a crew or team of individuals with an identified work supervisor that can be used on an incident.
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Size-up
To evaluate a fire to determine a course of action for fire suppression.
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Slash
Debris left after logging, pruning, thinning or brush cutting; includes logs, chips, bark, branches, stumps and broken understory trees or brush.
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Sling Load
Any cargo carried beneath a helicopter and attached by a lead line and swivel.
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Slop-over
A fire edge that crosses a control line or natural barrier intended to contain the fire.
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Smoke Management
Application of fire intensities and meteorological processes to minimize degradation of air quality during prescribed fires.
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Smokejumper
A firefighter who travels to fires by aircraft and parachute.
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Smoldering Fire
A fire burning without flame and barely spreading.
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Snag
A standing dead tree or part of a dead tree from which at least the smaller branches have fallen.
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Spot Fire
A fire ignited outside the perimeter of the main fire by flying sparks or embers.
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Spot Weather Forecast
A special forecast issued to fit the time, topography and weather of each specific fire. These forecasts are issued upon request of the user agency and are more detailed, timely and specific than zone forecasts.
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Spotter
In smokejumping, the person responsible for selecting drop targets and supervising all aspects of dropping smokejumpers.
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Spotting
Behavior of a fire producing sparks or embers that are carried by the wind and start new fires beyond the zone of direct ignition by the main fire.
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Staging Area
Locations set up at an incident where resources can be placed while awaiting a tactical assignment on a three-minute available basis. Staging areas are managed by the operations section.
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Stand Replacement Fire
A fire of such intensity and severity that nearly all the trees in a stand are killed. Forests succeeding a stand replacing fire are generally composed of trees that quickly re-establish and are consequently evenly aged.
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Strategy
The science and art of command as applied to the overall planning and conduct of an incident.
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Strike Team
Specified combinations of the same kind and type of resources, with common communications, and a leader.
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Strike Team Leader
Person responsible to a division/group supervisor for performing tactical assignments given to the strike team.
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Structure Fire
Fire originating in and burning any part or all of any building, shelter or other structure.
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Suppressant
An agent, such as water or foam, used to extinguish the flaming and glowing phases of combustion when directly applied to burning fuels.
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Suppression
All the work of extinguishing or containing a fire, beginning with its discovery.
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Surface Fire
A fire burning along the surface without significant movement into the understory or overstory, with flame length usually below 1 m.
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Surface Fuels
Loose surface litter on the soil surface, normally consisting of fallen leaves or needles, twigs, bark, cones and small branches that have not yet decayed enough to lose their identity; also grasses, forbs, low and medium shrubs, tree seedlings, heavier branchwood, downed logs, and stumps interspersed with or partially replacing the litter.
See also
Fuel
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Swamper
1. A worker who assists fallers and/or sawyers by clearing away brush, limbs and small trees. Carries fuel, oil and tools and watches for dangerous situations. 2. A worker on a dozer crew who pulls winch line, helps maintain equipment, etc., to speed suppression work on a fire.
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