Tactics For Wildfire Community Interface or Urban Conflagration

 Risk management in the wildland/urban interface (WUI)—the area where human development meets or intermixes with wildland fuels—requires a unique approach that bridges the gap between traditional urban (structural) and wildland firefighting. Because firefighters are traditionally trained to handle either structural fires or wildland fires, risk management in the WUI relies on cross-training personnel to understand both environments, ensuring they can safely suppress fires involving both buildings and vegetation and often on a lager size or complexity. 

Example: 

- do structural city fire crews know visibility limitations of heavy equipment or helicopter safety 

- do wildfire forestry crews know power line or hazmat hazards

Risk management in an urban conflagration or wildfire asset interface create transformational activities that are not always routine involving specialized tactics:

Comprehensive Hazard Assessments: Risk management in the WUI relies on a two-pronged assessment system for one incident activity or two values and assets.  Document hazards in ICS215a with a) tasks, b) hazards and c) controls, SOP’s or barriers and include in incident action plan ICS 201 to Plans Cheif and/or Operations Cheif.

1) Area & Activity Hazard Assessment: Evaluates site, staff and equipment characteristics and potential fire behavior in the general area beyond 100ft. or 30 meters from the building. Example hazards include no lookouts or weather data, no synced radio channels with mutual aid partners, no established egress routes or safety zones, no prior relevant training

2) Structure/Asset Hazard Assessment: Evaluates the building itself and the immediate area within 100ft. or 30 meters (aka. structural triage). - Example hazard - only one means of access and egress to a structure or wood porch at top of heavily treed hill.

Safety Actions:

1) ensure power and natural gas is off to eliminate source of ignition and added fuel as per department SOP

2) mark and flag houses as per structural triage standards - green flag = stand alone or fire wise principles applied and red flag means high hazard due to dense vegetation and rescue drive by only

3) mark and flag occupancy of structures - Is the house empty? How many people have stayed? Are the residence mobile?

4) consider extra sources of water - portable temporary water tanks (10,000 US gallon), tanker trucks (20,000 US. gallon is possible), porta tanks, auxiliary water supply (aka. mass water/temporary hydrant) - if water is not from a static source (lake/river) with access for draft (vacuum load) then ensure fittings that are uniform for pump suction - tenders and contract water tankers should have dump valves for faster water relay

Structural Mitigations To reduce a building's vulnerability to radiant heat and airborne firebrands (embers), risk management focuses on specific construction and maintenance standards:

• Roofing and Cleanliness: Utilizing fire-retardant materials like metal, tile, or asphalt, and ensuring roofs and gutters are completely clear of combustible debris like pine needles.
• Exteriors and Siding: Using non-combustible siding (e.g., stucco or metal) rather than vinyl, which can quickly melt and expose the building's interior to embers.
• Openings and Windows: Enclosing eaves, screening vents with 3-millimeter mesh to prevent ember entry, and utilizing tempered or double-pane windows that resist fracturing from intense heat.
• Nearby Combustibles: Relocating firewood, building materials, and propane tanks at least 10 meters away from the structure.

Safety Actions:

1) seal exterior of building - doors, windows, vents (screens or cover)

2) remove ladder fuels (low lying branches <5') and rake dead grasses and leaves

3) wet exterior of building (foams and gels need to be approved by AHJ) - sprinklers supplied from porta tanks (pumpkins) and portable pump is best (usually supplied by a structural protection unit [SPU])

Vegetation and Fuel Management (Defensible Space) Risk is heavily mitigated by establishing defensible space—modifying or removing combustible materials and vegetation around a property. This is managed across three Priority Zones:

• Priority Zone 1 (0–10 meters from the building): The most critical zone, which requires the aggressive removal of surface fuels to create an environment that will not support wildfires. Flammable vegetation is often replaced with trimmed lawn or non-combustible materials.
• Priority Zone 2 (10–30 meters): Focuses on removing surface vegetation and "ladder fuels" (shrubs and low-hanging branches that allow ground fires to climb into the tree canopy) so the area only supports low-intensity fires.
• Priority Zone 3 (30–100+ meters): Focuses on managing the forest over-story and tree spacing to prevent high-intensity crown fires from producing spotting embers that threaten structures.

Specialized Personnel and Strategic Planning Risk management in the WUI also shifts heavily toward pre-incident community planning and specialized incident response:

• Wildland/Urban Interface Coordinators work in advance of fires to analyze the jurisdiction, establish risk ratings, assist developers in the planning phases of new subdivisions, and process plan reviews to ensure compliance with WUI safety codes.
• Wildland/Urban Interface Protection Specialists operate during an incident to assess actual hazards, analyze the potential involvement of hazardous materials, develop dynamic structure protection plans, and help coordinate evacuation or shelter-in-place strategies.
• Staging Area Managers - critical for stand by crews at staging where crews muster for dispatch of assignments (food, water and bathrooms are essential so schools, churches and community center with large paved parking are ideal especially when they can double as a safety zone)
• Aviation and Heavy Equipment Task Force Leaders - must be informed of public utility locations and rights of way for safety of all in area - communicate with adjoining forces (distance is the safety buffer)

Safety Actions:

• sign and map areas in advance of wildfire as conflagrations safety zones to muster as a last resort for public and refuge for direct attack crews - escape routes need to be identified as well as water sources for incoming mutual aid responders 
• monitor social media to ensure all possible situational awareness is used
• do consider emergency bathroom, food and fuel (those struggling are often reaching out on social media)