The suppression of uncontrolled fires burning on uninhabited land or wilderness is referred to as wildland firefighting. When fighting these types of fires, firefighters usually try to control how the fire burns and keep it contained to a single area. These firefighters are frequently aided others on the ground and in the air, and they are equipped with a variety of specialized tools.
Because wildfires are so easily out of control, wildland firefighting focuses on keeping the flames contained. Firefighters can help prevent injury, death, and property damage putting out the flames. Outdoor fires come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Grass fires are common on grassy land, such as plains and prairies. Forest fires frequently start in densely forested areas.
The majority of wildland firefighting efforts are coordinated from a command center. The command center’s operators are in charge of preparing media reports, dispatching wildland firefighters, and ensuring that firefighters have the proper equipment. This facility is also in charge of coordinating and communicating with various aerial firefighters.
Wildland firefighting relies heavily on aircraft. Special helicopters and planes, dubbed “air tankers,” are equipped with buckets or tanks and are sometimes referred to as “air tankers.” Hundreds or thousands of gallons of water or another type of fire retardant, such as ammonium polyphosphate, can be stored in these tanks. Modern fire retardants not only help to control wildfires, but they also help to fertilize the ground, allowing vegetation to recover more quickly.
There are a few different ways to fill buckets and tanks. They can be filled while the plane is on the ground, but they can also be filled while the plane is flying. Buckets can be filled dunking them in a large body of water, whereas tanks can be filled siphoning water from a body of water. The fire retardant is usually dumped in front of a fire, or just at its edge, the pilots of these aircraft. This can aid firefighters on the ground in maintaining a fire line, preventing the fire from spreading further.
Wildland firefighting is a physically demanding and dangerous job. As a result, these firefighters must be in excellent physical condition. They must typically complete rigorous wildland firefighter training courses in which they will learn the skills and techniques necessary to fight wildland fires, including how to build fire lines and use their equipment.
The equipment used wildland firefighters is critical in fighting these fires. Rakes, shovels, chainsaws, navigational equipment, and explosives are examples of this type of equipment. Some even have makeshift shelters to protect them from the scorching heat. These are typically only used in situations where a firefighter is trapped the fire.