Wildfire Preparedness: Intro To Fire Suppression
Fire is a natural element
in forest ecosystems.
“The forests of
Today, more people are taking up residence in the forests and rangelands—and thus becoming part of the wildland urban interface—where the urban environment meets the wild. “Residents living in wildland/urban interface areas should learn to view wildfire as a natural phenomena that can devastate property and life—and prepare accordingly.”
There are many precautions you can take to help keep yourself and your home safe in the wildland urban interface.
PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR WILDFIRE MENU
Within the Preparing Your Home For Wildfire Menu you will find links to many pages that will assist you in evaluating your home's safety during a wildfire, inlcuding: basic principles of fire behavior, fire danger mitigation measures for your home (inluding defensible space, fire-resistant plants, building materials, and more) and easy-to-read statistic summaries concerning county and state laws (pertaining to construction of homes in the Wildland Urban Interface).
FUNDAMENTALS OF FIRE MENU
Within the Fundamentals of Fire Menu you will find an explanation of common firefighting tools, as well as: basic principles of fire activity, information on the role of fire in nature, and an overview of what is meant by "fuels" in wildfire situations.
FIRE SUPPRESSION MENU
The Fire Suppression Menu gives an overview on fire suppression methods and fire suppression resources, including: engines, handcrews, hotshots, rapellers, smokejumpers, and inmate crews. Also included here are links on becoming a wildland firefighter.
FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT MENU
The Firefighting Aircraft Menu covers helicopters and air tankers, as well as specifications and uses in wildfire suppression.
THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MENU
The Incident Management System Menu introduces the concepts of Incident Management, organizational structure (chain of command and definitions of key positions) and Incident Command-- as well as a brief history of how the system came to be.
WHO'S WHO IN FIRE SUPPRESSION MENU
The Who's Who in Fire Suppression Menu describes the role of various agencies, including: Oregon Department of Forestry, United States Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. A link to various local fire district organizations is also included.