Fire Suppression Flashcards
7 cards from real S-130 practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Fire Suppression flashcards as text
What is the purpose of 'scarifying' the soil during mop-up operations?
Answer: Removing flammable duff and litter to expose mineral soil and cool hotspots
Scarifying means scraping away duff and organic material to expose mineral soil, which helps cool hotspots and eliminate smoldering fuel.
Which scenario best illustrates a 'slopover,' a common suppression problem?
Answer: The fire jumps an established control line and starts burning outside the contained area
A slopover occurs when fire crosses a control line, typically due to embers, rolling debris, or incomplete line construction.
During extended attack on a large fire, night operations may be used primarily because:
Answer: Lower temperatures and higher humidity typically reduce fire behavior, making conditions safer
At night, cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity typically reduce fire intensity, providing safer and more effective suppression conditions.
A firefighter notices smoke coming from a stump 30 feet inside the black during mop-up. The correct action is to:
Answer: Fell the stump, dig out burning material, and extinguish with water or soil
Burning stumps must be felled, dug out completely, and thoroughly extinguished to prevent re-ignition and escape.
In suppression operations, 'size-up' refers to:
Answer: The process of evaluating all factors that influence fire behavior and resource needs before acting
Size-up is the systematic evaluation of the fire situation—including fuels, weather, terrain, and available resources—to guide suppression decisions.
What is the role of the 'Division Supervisor' during a wildland fire suppression operation?
Answer: Directing tactical operations and supervising resources within an assigned geographic division
The Division Supervisor directs tactical suppression operations and supervises all resources operating within their assigned geographic division.
When a Type 1 handcrew encounters an area of unburned fuel ('island') inside the fire perimeter during mop-up, they should:
Answer: Burn it out in a controlled manner or mop it up to eliminate a potential re-ignition source
Unburned islands inside the fire perimeter can re-ignite and cause slopovers, so they must be burned out or thoroughly moped up.