Red Card Fire Suppression Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'cold trailing' used to determine during mop-up operations?
- Wind speed near the ground
- Whether the fire edge is truly out by checking for heat with bare hands (Correct answer)
- The distance fire has traveled overnight
- Moisture content of unburned fuels
Correct answer: Whether the fire edge is truly out by checking for heat with bare hands
Cold trailing involves carefully feeling the burned area with bare hands to detect any remaining heat that indicates incomplete extinguishment.
Question 2: Which hose lay configuration is best for steep terrain where gravity-fed water flow is an advantage?
- Progressive hose lay
- Reverse lay
- Gravity lay from an upper water source (Correct answer)
- Split lay
Correct answer: Gravity lay from an upper water source
A gravity lay uses an upper water source such as a tank or pond to deliver water downhill via hose to the fire without pumping.
Question 3: What is the primary danger of working in the 'green' (unburned) side of a fireline?
- Higher risk of dehydration
- Exposure to unburned fuels that can ignite and trap firefighters (Correct answer)
- Greater difficulty communicating by radio
- Reduced visibility from smoke
Correct answer: Exposure to unburned fuels that can ignite and trap firefighters
Working in unburned fuels on the green side exposes firefighters to the risk of being overrun if the fire shifts or runs, as there is no burned area for refuge.
Question 4: What does a Type 6 engine primarily provide during wildland fire suppression?
- Large volume structural firefighting capability
- Aerial reconnaissance
- Initial attack with off-road water delivery capability (Correct answer)
- Heavy equipment transport
Correct answer: Initial attack with off-road water delivery capability
A Type 6 engine is a light wildland fire engine designed for initial attack with off-road mobility and direct water application on wildland fires.
Question 5: When using a Pulaski tool for fireline construction, which end is used to scrape soil to mineral layer?
- The axe blade end
- The adze (hoe) end (Correct answer)
- Either end equally
- The handle butt end for compacting
Correct answer: The adze (hoe) end
The adze (hoe) end of the Pulaski is used for scraping and grubbing soil to mineral layer when constructing a hand line.
Question 6: What is a 'spot fire' and why is it a significant threat during suppression operations?
- A small prescribed burn used for training; threat is minor
- A fire that ignites ahead of the main fire from windblown embers; can cut off escape routes (Correct answer)
- A fire in a single isolated snag; threat is minimal
- A campfire left by recreationists; threat is mainly legal
Correct answer: A fire that ignites ahead of the main fire from windblown embers; can cut off escape routes
Spot fires ignite ahead of the main fire when embers are carried by wind, creating a new fire front that can threaten crews working between it and the main fire.
Question 7: In a parallel attack on a wildland fire, where is the control line constructed relative to the fire?
- Directly on the fire's edge
- Some distance away from and parallel to the fire edge (Correct answer)
- Perpendicular to the fire's head
- At the origin point of the fire
Correct answer: Some distance away from and parallel to the fire edge
Parallel attack builds the control line close to but not on the fire edge, allowing crews to work more safely while still containing the fire.
Red Card Fire Suppression Techniques 3
What is 'cold trailing' used to determine during mop-up operations?