Page 1 of Ink and Ashes
Arson : The criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property.
British Columbia Wildfire Service (BCWS) : The wildfire suppression and management agency for the province of British Columbia, Canada.
Being Held : Describes a wildfire that with currently committed resources, sufficient suppression action has been taken that the fire is not likely to spread beyond existent or predetermined boundaries under prevailing and forecasted conditions; with the two-letter code (BH).
Brush Truck : A fire engine specifically designed to assist in fighting wildfires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment.
Burning Period : The part of each 24-hour day when fires are generally the most active.
Career Firefighter : A full-time paid position where someone works solely as a firefighter, receiving a salary and benefits.
Dry Lightning Storm : A thunderstorm with negligible precipitation reaching the ground.
Engine : A specialized truck on which is mounted a water tank, pump, hose and supplementary equipment. It is used to bring a self-contained water source to a fire with the capability of pumping water through a hose line directly from the tank to a fire.
Extinguished/Out : Describes a fire having been extinguished; with the two-letter code (EX).
Fire Captain : A supervisory role in a fire department that involves managing fire station operations and personnel. They are responsible for fire prevention, emergency response, and training.
Fire Investigation (FI) : The process of determining the origin and cause of a fire, often including an examination of the fire scene to understand how and why the fire started and spread.
Fire Lieutenant : A fire department officer who supervises firefighters and manages firefighting operations. They are responsible for a fire station or company, and they perform a variety of administrative and supervisory duties.
Fire Season : The period(s) of the year during which fires are likely to start, spread, and do damage to values at risk sufficient to warrant organized fire suppression.
Fire Line : The portion of the fire upon which resources are deployed and are actively engaged in the incident. In a general sense, the working area around a fire.
Flashover : The rapid combustion and/or explosion of trapped, unburned gases; usually occurs in poorly ventilated areas.
Fuel Break(s) : A strategically managed strip of land designed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire by reducing flammable vegetation and fuels
Ground Fire : A fire that burns the ground fuel layer (in the soil); often results in holdover fires.
Halligan : A versatile, multipurpose forcible entry tool primarily used by firefighters.
Hectare (ha) : A measurement unit of area in the metric system equal to 10,000 square metres, 0.01 square kilometres, or 0.0039 square miles. A large wildfire in Canada is considered to be greater than 200ha.
Holdover/Zombie Fire : A fire that remains dormant and undetected for a considerable amount of time after it starts (particularly lightning-caused fires).
Hotspot : (1) A particularly active part of a fire; (2) A small area of smouldering or glowing combustion, which may be exhibiting smoke, located on or within the fire perimeter; a term commonly used during the mop-up stage of a fire.
Initial Attack : The actions taken to halt the spread or potential spread of a wildland fire by the first firefighting forces to arrive at the fire.
Jaws of Life : Hydraulic rescue tools, commonly used by emergency responders to extricate people trapped in vehicles after accidents.
Klaxon(s) : An electric horn or a similar loud warning device.
Ladder Truck : A piece of mobile fire apparatus carrying ladders and usually other firefighting and rescue equipment. Used for ventilation, rescue, extinguishment, and rapid response.
Mop-Up : The act of extinguishing a fire after it has been brought under control.
Out-of-Control : Describes a wildfire not responding, or only responding on a limited basis, to suppression action such that perimeter spread is not being contained; with the two-letter code (OC).
Paid-on-Call : A firefighter who is paid a set amount to be available to respond to emergency calls during designated hours, essentially working a flexible schedule where they are not required to be at the station full-time but must be able to reach the station quickly when called upon; they receive compensation for each call they respond to, in addition to their on-call pay.
PASS (Personal Alert Safety System) Device : A safety device primarily used by firefighters to signal distress when they are incapacitated or trapped in a hazardous environment.
Pulaski : A combination chopping and trenching tool, which combines a single-bitted axe blade with a narrow adze-like trenching blade fitted to a straight handle. Useful for grubbing or trenching in duff and matted roots.
Quint : A fire truck that combines the functions of a ladder truck and a fire engine.
Smokejumper : A firefighter who travels to wildland fires by fixed-wing aircraft and parachute.
Spot Fire : A fire ignited by embers that are carried outside the main fire perimeter by air currents, gravity, and/or fire whirls.
Surface Fire : A fire that burns the surface fuel layer (leaves, branches, logs), excluding the crowns of the trees, as either a head fire, flank fire, or backfire.
Tender : A fire truck that carries water to a fire scene. Tenders are often used in areas without fire hydrants, such as rural areas.
Under Control/Controlled/Contained : Describes a wildfire having received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of the fire; with the two-letter code (UC).
Volunteer Firefighter : A community member who responds to fire emergencies without receiving a regular salary, often balancing their firefighting duties with another primary job and only getting compensated for specific expenses or situations.