49 



Yearbook^ of Agriculture 1949 



Planned crew strength is based on 

 the need under average burning con- 

 ditions, and can be raised or lowered 

 to conform to changing fire danger. 

 Fire-danger rating systems, which are 

 based mainly on weather conditions, 

 show the current relative fire danger 

 for the area. This information, sup- 

 plemented by weather forecasts, indi- 

 cates what temporary changes are 

 needed with respect to the size and 

 movement of initial forces. 



The fourth step concerns the loca- 

 tion of initial-attack forces. Obviously, 

 it would be economically unsound to 

 place suppression crews where history 

 has shown fires do not normally occur 

 or could do little or no damage. Also, 

 it would be poor business to locate fire 

 fighters at points from which travel 

 time is too slow. 



Here again the fire-occurrence and 

 the fuel-type maps are helpful. As in 

 detection planning, a field survey is 

 made to select temporarily the best lo- 

 cations for initial-attack forces. Silhou- 

 ettes are prepared to show travel-time 

 coverage along existing roads and 

 trails. By superimposing these profiles 

 over the maps which show fire occur- 

 rence, fire business, and fuel types, and 

 also taking into consideration travel- 

 time standards, one can get an index 

 value for each potential location, in 

 much the same manner as in the final 

 selection of lookouts. Stations can then 

 be chosen and improved on the basis of 

 their relative value and to the extent 

 required up to the point of diminish- 

 ing returns. The potential fire business 

 in many areas will not justify complete 

 initial-attack coverage within the trav- 

 el-time standards. In mountainous and 

 inaccessible country it may prove to be 

 cheaper and more effective to use air- 

 plane smokejumpers or mobile ground 

 fire-fighting units, rather than to sta- 

 tion suppression crews at set locations. 



A FINAL PHASE of initial-attack plan- 

 ning is to prepare a table showing for 

 each station the location, number of 

 men, fire-fighting tools, special equip- 

 ment, and the season during which the 



station should be occupied in order to 

 provide adequate protection for the 

 area under average weather conditions. 

 The tabulation should further outline 

 how the strength at each station should 

 vary in accordance with ratings from 

 the fire-danger rating system estab- 

 lished for the area. 



Even after these initial-attack plans 

 are worked out, it is more than likely 

 that there will be some important areas 

 which still will not be well covered. 



PLANNING FOR TRANSPORTATION is 

 the next step. 



Accessibility is important. Without 

 the degree of accessibility set up by the 

 travel-time standards, many fires will 

 escape the initial attack and may cause 

 great damage. Systematic planning for 

 an adequate transportation system 

 therefore is essential. It should be done 

 simultaneously with the preparation of 

 the initial-attack plan. 



The general procedure is : 



1. A road study to determine how 

 existing roads will meet the require- 

 ments of the initial-attack plan from 

 the standpoint of allowable travel time. 

 This can be done by making a road-log 

 survey of each existing road in the area. 

 Speedometer readings are shown on a 

 map for all intersections and important 

 points, and travel time to such points is 

 computed, based on safe traveling 

 speeds for initial-attack vehicles. 



2. A map is then prepared showing 

 areas which can be reached within the 

 time requirements. 



3. Comparing this map with the ini- 

 tial-attack plan will show the extent to 

 which existing roads are adequate and 

 where additional transportation facili- 

 ties are needed. 



This determination, however, is only 

 one segment of the transportation pic- 

 ture. Improvement of existing routes 

 of travel is not only a job of filling in 

 the gaps for each individual locality; 

 it must also be a part of and conform 

 to an over-all, balanced transportation 

 system for the area. 



The decision as to which new roads 

 are required and can be economically 



