NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

Stage of growth or degree of flammability of vegetation that forms part of a fuel complex. Herbaceous stage is at times used when referring to herbaceous vegetation alone. In grass areas minimum qualitative distinctions for stages of annual growth are usually green, curing, and dry or cured. 

Heat transfer through a material from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature.

A wildfire response strategy of restricting a wildfire to a defined area, primarily using natural barriers that are expected to restrict the spread of the wildfire under the prevailing and forecasted weather conditions.

The strategy employed in appropriate management responses where a fire perimeter is managed by a combination of direct and indirect actions and use of natural topographic features, fuel, and weather factors.

A raging, destructive fire. Often used to connote such a fire with a moving front as distinguished from a fire storm.

Likelihood that a wildfire capable of causing considerable damage will occur.

Area representing electoral divisions for the purpose of electing members of the United States House of Representatives.

Inflammation of the conjunctiva.

Uniformity and size of bubbles.

Resultant of all fire danger factors that are relatively unchanging in a specific area (e.g., resource values at risk, topography, fuel type, exposure to prevailing wind).

The type of fiber used, tensile strength of the fiber, number of ends, and number of picks per inch in a fire hose jacket.

The amount of a specified fuel type or strata that is removed through the fire process, often expressed as a percentage of the preburn weight.

Email of the incident-based contact responsible for data creation.

Name of the incident-based contact responsible for data creation.

Phone number for the incident-based contact responsible for data creation.

Phone number for the Dispatch Center.

The status of a wildfire suppression action signifying that a control line has been completed around the fire, and any associated spot fires, which can reasonably be expected to stop the fire's spread.

The act of controlling hazardous spilled or leaking materials.

The status of a wildfire suppression action signifying that a control line has been completed around the fire, and any associated spot fires, which can reasonably be expected to stop the fire's spread.

Climate that is characteristic of the interior of a land mass of continental size, marked by large annual diurnal and day-to-day ranges of temperature, low relative humidity and irregular precipitation.

A back-up plan of action when actions described in the primary plan are no longer appropriate. Contingency actions are required to be taken when the result exceeds its intent. Actions are taken to return the project to its intended design.

The portion of a prescribed fire plan, incident action plan, or implementation plan that identifies possible but unlikely events and the contingency resources needed to mitigate those events.

Planned and identified fire suppression personnel and equipment that mitigate possible but unlikely events that exceed or are expected to exceed holding resource capabilities.

Eighty-five percent point established from a maximum. Performance test of a pump and corrected to sea level.

A line on a map or chart indicating elevation in feet, and connects all points of the same height above sea level.

A map having lines of equal elevation that represent the land surface (Topographic).

Any written agreement giving one party a right, a service, or a commodity in exchange for a right, a service, or a commodity. Contracts include land use permits, purchase orders, equipment rental agreements, leases, etc.

The name of the company who, through a contract, provides resources to support incident management activities.

Agency personnel with specific delegation of procurement authority.

An individual designated by the Contracting Officer to provide technical support for the contract within specific authority and limitations as specified in the delegation. The COTR/COR must be agency certified.

Private sector personnel, vendor or business contracted to provide goods and services to a government agency.

Personnel and equipment used to control a fire.

An inclusive term for all constructed or natural barriers and treated fire edges used to control a fire.

The time a fire is declared controlled.

The completion of control line around a fire, any spot fires therefrom, and any interior islands to be saved; burned out any unburned area adjacent to the fire side of the control lines; and cool down all hotspots that are immediate threats to the control line, until the lines can reasonably be expected to hold under the foreseeable conditions. 

Airspace of defined dimensions within which air traffic control service is provided to IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) and VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flights in accordance with the airspace classification.

Shut-off nozzle that permits the nozzle operator to open or close the nozzle or adjust the pattern of the stream.

The transfer of heat by the movement of a gas or liquid; convection, conduction, and radiation are the principal means of energy transfer.

As specialized in meteorology, atmospheric motions that are predominantly vertical in the absence of wind (which distinguishes this process from advection), resulting in vertical transport and mixing of atmospheric properties.

The rising column of gases, smoke, fly ash, particulates, and other debris produced by a fire. The column has a strong vertical component indicating that buoyant forces override the ambient surface wind.

General term for manifestations of convection in the atmosphere, alluding particularly to the development of convective clouds and resulting weather phenomena, such as showers, thunderstorms, squalls, hail, tornadoes, etc.

The phase of a fire when most of the emissions are entrained into a definite convection column.

The term for horizontal air currents merging together or approaching a single point, such as at the center of a low pressure area producing a net inflow of air. When this occurs in the lower atmosphere, the excess air is removed by rising air currents. Expansion of the rising air above a convergence zone results in cooling, which in turn often gives condensation (clouds) and sometimes precipitation. 

In fire weather, that area where two winds come together from opposite directions and are forced upwards often creating clouds and precipitation.

The area of increased flame height and fire intensity produced when two or more fire fronts burn together.