As fires rage across Southern California, the news is filled with reports of inadequate fire containment and areas under evacuation warnings and orders.
But what does it all mean? Here’s a quick guide to many of the terms public safety officials use to describe a wildfire’s progress, the efforts to contain it, and the measures taken to protect residents.
Content: In the world of firefighting, containment means some degree of control — specifically, how much of a fire’s perimeter, or boundary, firefighters think they can stop it from spreading. Natural barriers, like rivers and streams, can help, as can human interventions, like using bulldozers to strip a swath of land of vegetation, depriving the fire of fuel to grow.
So even if the fire is 100% contained, acres of land will still be charred and firefighters will continue to fight to keep the fire from getting out of control. The percentage simply tells the public how much of the fire’s area the firefighters believe will not exceed their protection.
One X-factor is wind. Unlike fires that grow based on topography or along the path of burning fuels, fires that are spread by strong winds .
Emergency line. Firefighters often set up a layer of defense called a contingency line some distance from the perimeter of the fire. They clear the ground to the dirt on a ridgetop about a mile from the edge of the fire to clear a potential future defensive position. Meanwhile, firefighters approach the fire, laying down firebreaks and clearing vegetation with bulldozers, shovels, axes and chainsaws.
It’s under control. Once the fire reaches 100% containment (which can take months depending on the weather, the size of the fire and the local topography), firefighters will work to declare the fire under control.
Once a fire is under control, it’s essentially out. Officials will no longer deploy firefighters, but will instead send out daily patrols to make sure the burned areas don’t reignite and start new fires.
Evacuation order. This is a lawful order to leave immediately due to an imminent danger to life. Areas subject to evacuation orders are off-limits to the public, and those who do not comply with the order face not only traffic jams on evacuation routes, but also the death penalty.
Evacuation alert. While an evacuation order means “leave,” an evacuation alert is the equivalent of “prepare.” It indicates that the area faces a potential threat to life and property, so people in the area should be prepared to evacuate immediately. People who need more time to evacuate, such as those with restricted mobility or those with pets or livestock, should evacuate immediately.
Please evacuate to a designated area. The order means it’s unsafe to be outside, but safe to stay on your property. California says that if a shelter-in-place order is issued, people should stay indoors with doors and windows closed and locked until further notice.
News reports may also refer to different types of fire brigades.
a Manual laborer They use fire extinguishers to build containment lines and burn areas using equipment such as ignition torches (a cross between a lighter and a flame thrower). These teams also perform mop-up and clean-up operations. Joint fire crews are highly trained manual teams that are sent out to help put out particularly difficult fires.
Anne EngineerMeanwhile, fire engines rush to the scene of the fire and spray water and fire-extinguishing foam on the flames. Fuel Crew An effort to remove vegetation that could contribute to the spread of an advancing fire through controlled burning.
