Operational Planning for Fighting Veldfires

OPERATIONAL PLANNING FOR FIGHTING VELDFIRES

Components of operational planning

1. Pre-fire planning and preparedness
2. Procedures during a veldfire
3. Procedures for dealing with post-fire issues

1. Before a veldfire

• Identify danger points
• Establish a veldfire history.
• Map spatial distribution of veldfire hazards in your area (e.g. public roads).
• Establish what direction a veldfire is most likely to approach from

Compile maps

• Prepare a set of maps for your area showing:
• Firebreaks
• Roads
• Fire fighting infrastructure
• Buildings
• Danger spots
• Fire hazards

N.B. Revise annually

Firebreaks

• Establish where you need firebreaks
• Decide on appropriate specifications
• Use appropriate methods and timing for making firebreaks
• Implement a firebreak maintenance plan

Fire detection

• Weigh up cost versus effectiveness
• Locate lookout posts
• Compile duty sheets for lookout staff
• Decide when to man lookouts
• Ensure good communications
• Establish phone ‘trees’

Water supply

• Establish a network of water supply points and check regularly
• Check water levels in reservoirs daily during the fire season
• Ensure that adequate pressure can be maintained
• Ensure spare water pumps using an independent power supply are available

Equipment and vehicles

• Review annually (quantity and appropriateness)
• Dedicate equipment and vehicles to the veldfire task during the fire season
• Ensure adequate training in the use of the equipment

Maintenance of equipment and vehicles

• Do servicing and repairs before the fire season
• Do daily inspections during the fire season
• Make use of checklists
• Equip vehicles with basic fire tools so that staff can respond immediately
• Fill fuel tanks before each weekend
• Keep radio batteries charged
• Maintain and repair equipment after a veldfire

Communications

• Provide adequate communication equipment
• Provide portable battery-powered two-way radios
• Don’t rely on one power source (electricity could fail during a fire)
• Develop phone ‘trees’
• Develop radio procedures
• Plan for radio ‘blind spots’

Access

• Inspect roads regularly and more often in the fire season
• Remove obstacles such as fallen trees
• Make sure roads can accommodate fire tenders
• Key locks alike and ensure that vehicles carry tools (e.g. bolt cutters and saws)

Fire danger rating

• Obtain fire danger ratings (FDR) daily during fire season
• Communicate the FDR to key staff
• Take prescribed actions in accordance with the FDR (Determine level of readiness)

Precautions as per FDR

Fire prevention instructions

• Regulate:
• Open fires
• Smoking of cigarettes
• Honey hunting
• Use of radio call signals
• Use of chainsaws
• Use of welding and grinding machines

Liaison and assistance

• If possible establish FPAs
• Rules of FPAs should contain communication protocols
• Draw up mutual assistance agreements

Standby procedures

• Establish standby schedules for each fire fighting team at the begin of the fire season
• A standby crew should be maintained after hours, throughout the fire season

Call-out procedures

• These include:
• Establishing clear lines of authority quickly
• Alerting the FPO
• Alerting rapid response teams
• Alerting stand-by teams
• Alerting neighbours

Helicopter procedures

• If helicopters are used in your area:
• Develop call out procedures
• Develop operational procedures
• Develop safety procedures

Command procedures

• Regardless of the size of the fire, certain basic management actions are required to establish rapid and efficient control, and minimise risk, damage and costs
• Set up appropriate command structures in collaboration with all partners

Basic organisation of fire fighting

• Fire Boss: Assumes overall control of the fire. Could be the Crew Boss at initial response to a small fire, but who would be replaced if a fire increased in size or severity
• Crew Leader: The Crew Leader serves as supervisor on the actual fire line, and is responsible for suppression of the fire on a particular line

Expanded organisation

• Logistics Officer must ensure that the supply of equipment and other resources
• Planning Officer uses weather, terrain and veld age to develop plans of attack
• Operations Leader is responsible for all suppression activities
• Air Attack Leader when aerial fire fighting is employed
• Sector Leader is responsible for suppression operations in each sector
• Fire Boss is in overall command

2. During a veldfire

Immediate response

• Based on the potential threat not the immediate size of the fire
• When fire danger is high or in an area where there is a potential for the fire spread rapidly, the response must be automatically increased.

Operational tasks

• Control: Control lines must be established and spot fires extinguished
• Fire log/reporting: It is essential that an accurate chronological record of the fire be maintained
• Mopping up: Final extinguishing of all embers must be undertaken; this includes patrolling the burnt area

3. After a veldfire

• Post fire equipment maintenance
• Restocking of supplies
• Mapping of the area burnt
• Compilation of a fire report
• Submission of fire report to National Veldfire Information System
• Review of events