| Fireline is a break in fuel, made
by cutting, scraping or digging. It can be done by mechanized
equipment such as bulldozers, but in most parks, it
is done using handtools. In building fireline, all fuels
are removed and the surface scraped to mineral soil
between 6 inches and 3 feet wide depending upon the
fuel and slope. It needs to be wide enough to prevent
smoldering, burning or spotting by embers blowing or
rolling across the line. Firelines are wider at the
head of the fire than along the flanks when they can
be constructed safely. Firelines can also be made or
enlarged by back burns where fuels between the advancing
fire and the line are burned out to slow or stop the
fire.
Eventually the firefighters do prevail.
Often a break in the weather is the factor that allows
the workers to encircle and contain the fire. Once the
fire is "contained", the hard, dirty work
of mop up goes into full swing to bring the fire under
control. Each ember will be painstakingly sought and
put out. The entire fire perimeter, and sometimes the
entire fire is felt with bare hands (cold trailed) to
be sure there is no longer any heat left to allow the
fire to escape. During mop up, firefighters also begin
rehabilitating firelines by raking back the soil and
placing water bars to minimize erosion.
Just as resources were pumped into
the control effort, they are released (demobilized or
demobed) as it is determined that they are no longer
needed. Eventually the fire will be put into the patrol
phase and the fire report completed. The firefighters
will refurbish their gear and ready themselves for the
next call. |
