APPENDIX B USDA Forest Service Documents

1. FIGHT FIRE AGGRESSIVELY BUT PROVIDE FOR SAFETY FIRST.
2. INITIATE ALL ACTIONS BASED ON CURRENT AND EXPECTED FIRE BEHAVIOR.
3. RECOGNIZE CURRENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND OBTAIN FORECASTS.
4. ENSURE INSTRUCTIONS ARE GIVEN AND UNDERSTOOD.
5. OBTAIN CURRENT INFORMATION ON FIRE STATUS.
6. REMAIN IN COMMUNICATION WITH CREW MEMBERS, YOUR SUPERVISOR, AND ADJOINING FORCES.
7. DETERMINE SAFETY ZONES AND ESCAPE ROUTES.
8. ESTABLISH LOOKOUTS IN POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS.
9. RETAIN CONTROL AT ALL TIMES.
10. STAY ALERT, KEEP CALM, THINK CLEARLY, ACT DECISIVELY.

1. FIRE NOT SCOUTED OR SIZED UP.
2. IN COUNTRY NOT SEEN IN DAYLIGHT.
3. SAFETY ZONES AND ESCAPE ROUTES NOT IDENTIFIED.
4. UNFAMILIAR WITH WEATHER AND LOCAL FACTORS INFLUENCING FIRE BEHAVIOR.
5. UNIFORMED ON STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND HAZARDS.
6. INSTRUCTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS NOT CLEAR.
7. NO COMMUNICATION LINK WITH CREW MEMBERS/SUPERVISOR.
8. CONSTRUCTING FIRELINE WITHOUT SAFE ANCHOR POINT.
9. BUILDING FIRELINE DOWNHILL WITH FIRE BELOW.
10. ATTEMPTING FRONTAL ASSAULT ON FIRE.
11. UNBURNED FUEL BETWEEN YOU AND THE FIRE.
12. CANNOT SEE MAIN FIRE, NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANYONE WHO CAN.
13. ON A HILLSIDE WHERE ROLLING MATERIAL CAN IGNITE FUEL BELOW.
14. WEATHER IS GETTING HOTTER AND DRIER.
15. WIND INCREASES AMD/OR CHANGES DIRECTION.
16. GETTING FREQUENT SPOT FIRES ACROSS LINE.
17. TERRAIN AND FUELS MAKE ESCAPE TO SAFETY ZONES DIFFICULT.
18. TAKING A NAP NEAR THE FIRELINE.

1. THE DECISION IS MADE BY A COMPETENT FIREFIGHTER AFTER THOROUGH SCOUTING.
2. DOWNHILL LINE CONSTRUCTION SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED WHEN FIRE IS PRESENT DIRECTLY BELOW THE PROPOSED STARTING POINT.
3. THE FIRELINE SHOULD NOT BE IN OR ADJACENT TO A CHIMNEY OR CHUTE THAT COULD BURN OUT WHILE THE CREW IS IN THE VICINITY.
4. COMMUNICATIONS IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE CREW WORKING DOWNHILL AND CREWS WORKING TOWARD THEM FROM BELOW. WHEN NEITHER CREW CAN ADEQUATELY OBSERVE THE FIRE, COMMUNICATIONS WILL BE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE CREWS, SUPERVISING OVERHEAD, AND A LOOKOUT POSTED WHERE THE FIRE’S BEHAVIOR CAN BE CONTINUOUSLY OBSERVED.
5. THE CREW WILL BE ABLE TO RAPIDLY REACH A ZONE OF SAFETY FROM ANY POINT ALONG THE LINE IF THE FIRE UNEXPECTEDLY CROSSES BELOW THEM.
6. A DOWNHILL LINE SHOULD BE SECURELY ANCHORED AT THE TOP. AVOID
   UNDERSLUNG LINE IF AT ALL PRACTICAL.
7. LINE FIRING SHOULD BE DONE AS THE LINE PROGRESSES, BEGINNINO FROM THE ANCHOR POINT AT THE TOP. THE BURNED OUT AREA PROVIDES A CONTINUOUS SAFETY ZONE FOR THE CREW AND REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD OF FIRE CROSSING THE LINE.
8. BE AWARE OF AND AVOID THE ‘18” SITUATIONS THAT SHOUT WATCH OUT!”
9. FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ‘“THE 10 STANDARD FIRE ORDERS” IS ASSURED.