Rules of Engagement for WUI Fires

Several years ago, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)’s Safety, Health & Survival section developed “Rules of Engagement” for structural firefighting. Most firefighters are familiar with these rules in one form or another. But what about wildland/urban interface/intermix (WUI) fires? Should these incidents have their own rules of engagement?

It can be argued that WUI fires can be at least as complex and dangerous as structural fires. Look at the number of firefighters deployed, the number of agencies involved, the size of the area to manage, and the length of time involved (weeks rather than hours or days). Resident evacuations take longer, as it is much more than just a matter of getting people out of a building; many people are taking pets and even livestock with them. And in the confusion and poor visibility, there may be motor vehicle accidents with injuries or fatalities among evacuating residents. Firefighters’ own homes and families can be impacted by WUI fires. We measure structure fires by the square feet and wildland fires in acres burned and homes threatened, damaged or destroyed. Wildland fire behavior is different, and weather is critical.

Similar to the IAFC’s Rules of Engagement, wildland firefighters follow the U.S. Forest Service’s 10 Standing Orders and 18 Watchout Situations. But in light of recent fire season lessons, I think that all fire departments and chiefs need to look at their readiness and capabilities to determine if they are ready to handle complex WUI events. After all, as structure fires have decreased, WUI fires have increased. A paradigm shift is needed.

Related to the idea of using structural firefighting tactics and tools on WUI incidents, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) indicated in a 2015 report: “This attempt to force fit established strategies and equipment to an altogether different environment is a disservice to the firefighter and inherently puts their life at an increased risk.”¹

Rules of engagement start long before your crews are working a WUI incident. It starts with proper training, realistic standard operating procedures/guidelines (SOPs/SOGs), thoughtful apparatus-purchasing decisions, proper equipment and PPE, and the mental and physical preparedness of your crews. There needs to be coordination among state, county and municipal government, and among fire suppression agencies. With this in mind, let’s focus on some key points to keep your crews safe.

Readiness

Is your department’s fire apparatus equipped for WUI firefighting? You may be in an urban setting and have excellent structural firefighting equipment, but what happens when you are deployed to a WUI fire in another part of the state or province? You have carbide-tipped chainsaws to cut through composition roofing, but do you have a small, lightweight chainsaw with a regular blade to cut trees that have fallen on the road, blocking access to the fire and egress for residents?

PPE

Do your firefighters have wildland as well as structural PPE? Wildland PPE will give firefighters more mobility and protect them from heat stress. Anyone who has fought a brush fire during the summer in structural PPE knows first-hand the shortcomings of structural PPE. Structural PPE has its uses in a WUI fire, generally, when you are actually fighting a structure fire caused by a wildfire.

Training

NFPA 1001: Standard for Firefighter Professional Qualifications is the gold standard for structural firefighting around the world, yet it does not address fighting WUI fires. When recruits go through the academy, they study and practice structural firefighting tactics, but there is little or no training for fighting WUI fires.

Do we need a standardized course like NFPA 1001 for WUI fires? Some structural departments have trained their firefighters on the Red Card (Type 2 firefighter) standard. That is great for a pure wildland fire, but an interface/intermix fire requires extra skills. When fire companies show up at a WUI incident, there can be a great deal of variation in training and experience. This can make things difficult for the incident commander (IC).

The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) has many courses that are specific to wildland firefighting positions and some, such as S-190: Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, that are essential to staying safe in a WUI incident. PMS 310-1 provides a crosswalk for structural firefighters qualified under NFPA 1001 to become wildland firefighters using the skills they already have. But structural firefighting and wildland courses do not cover some WUI topics, particularly those related to structure protection.

Apparatus

Large, heavy Type 1 engines work well in urban settings, but they are less suited to WUI incidents. If they have a large tank, their best use may be for shuttling water on hard surface roads. Type 3 wildland engines may not have the ability to carry all the equipment needed for both WUI and structure fires. Some departments, particularly in the Western U.S., have blended Type 1 and Type 3. Compartments for long-handled tools on Type 1 and larger-capacity pumps on Type 3 are two examples. Four-wheel-drive is useful for both off-road and snow conditions. Short wheelbase, high ground clearance, and pump-and-roll capabilities are other considerations. These engines are often referred to as Type 3 hybrids.

Agencies in the West are moving from Type 6 engines to hybrid Type 3 apparatus because so many wildland fires now involve structures. Increasingly, Type 6 engines are being ordered with super singles (tires) instead of dual tires for increased traction and maneuverability. Larger capacity pumps are another trend.

Wildfire intensity and frequency predictions should be taken into account when considering the 20-year service life of the apparatus being purchased. What will be the needs over the life of the engine? Some fire services overseas have gone one step further, and have hardened their fire vehicles, much as the military has hardened its vehicles because of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

For example, ForestrySA in Australia has a vehicle that is based on the Bushmaster Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). They call it the Fire King. This vehicle can withstand temperatures up to 1,000 degrees C (1,832 degrees F). There is no plastic on the vehicle and no rubber door seals. In case of a burnover, the crew is sheltered in the cab. After pulling the reflective curtains, the crew presses a red button; the rest is automatic. An electric pump discharges 700 liters of reserve water through a sprinkler system over the cab and above the tires. Compressed air is supplied to the cab and the engine. Underneath, all electrical and hydraulic components are protected.

I am not saying that every fire apparatus needs to be hardened like this, particularly with a $600,000 price tag. Indirect tactics, such as bump-and-run, generally do not pose as great a risk as other operations. Only crews specifically trained, equipped and driving hardened vehicles would be allowed to use any tactic that had the possibility of burnover.

Additionally, Portugal combined structure and wildland functions into one all-risk national fire service. All their apparatus are hardened and carry both wildland and structural equipment.

Quick-connect forestry-type couplings on a 1½-inch hose are useful as well as flat-lay hose reels. Forestry nozzles are a better choice than structural fog nozzles, as they make more efficient use of water, with personnel staying mobile and using tank water. Adding a 1-inch Econoline is helpful as well as adapters and reducers.

Community readiness

Is your community ready? Does local government know what to expect during a WUI fire? Do the citizens know what evacuation routes to use and where to get accurate, up-to-date information?

Are you engaging the community with programs like Firewise USA (nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Wildfire/Firewise-USA)? Many programs fail because they are top-down and meet resistance from homeowners who do not like to be told what to do on their property. The NFPA suggests that getting a few “spark plugs” on board is the best way to get community participation. And make sure your firefighters are engaged, too. Social media can help get the word out about how important it is to increase the survivability of homes and neighborhoods.

Can you get private contractors to do some of the work needed during the incident? Insurance companies have started using contractors to do prep work on high-value properties that they insure. Contractors also offer sprinkler protection services. They have large trailers stocked with pumps, hose, bladders and sprinklers.

Personnel support

Are your firefighters receiving the support needed to make a long deployment work for them? When your crew arrives at staging, ready to work, what do you need to know?

Following are some of the things you need to be sure you know before you leave to engage the fire:

Current and expected weather conditions, particularly wind speed and direction. Most importantly, expected changes, and the timing of those changes. Consider making your own weather observations, particularly wind speed and relative humidity.
Fire behavior, current and predicted. Remember that there will be variation by slope and aspect of the ground where you will be working.
Radio frequency to use.
Current maps with escape routes and safety zones marked, as well as a GPS unit. If you are relying solely on cell phone GPS, are you in range?
Know when to retreat. Know the 18 Watchout situations. Watch the fire behavior. Erratic or unusual fire behavior is a really good time to retreat.

Re-examine our preparedness

It is time to re-examine how we are preparing for increasingly common and destructive WUI fires. Perhaps we need a new name when we have fires that not only impact WUI areas but also urban neighborhoods as happened in Santa Rosa, CA, and Ft. McMurray, Alberta, Canada.