Firefighter 1C Wildland Practice Exam

What strategy is used to control fire spread by removing fuel in advance?

1. Flanking attack

2. Hot spotting

3. Prescriptive burning

4. Creating fire breaks

The correct answer is: Creating fire breaks

Creating fire breaks is a strategy used to control fire spread by removing fuel in advance. Fire breaks are physical barriers, such as cleared land or areas where vegetation has been removed, that are designed to stop or slow the progress of a wildfire. By eliminating the available fuel, these breaks reduce the intensity of the fire and can help protect structures or natural resources from being impacted. This method is particularly effective in creating defensible space around an area and is often employed as part of an overall fire management plan. It contributes significantly to fire control efforts by creating a buffer zone that can stop or at least slow down the advancing flames, allowing firefighters to manage the perimeter of a blaze more effectively. Other strategies mentioned do not focus primarily on fuel removal. For instance, a flanking attack involves firefighters approaching the fire from the sides rather than directly, which is a tactical maneuver rather than a preventive measure. Hot spotting refers to identifying areas of the fire that are particularly active or dangerous, which is useful for resource allocation but does not entail preemptively modifying fuel loads. Prescriptive burning, on the other hand, is a technique used to deliberately set controlled fires under specific conditions to reduce fuel accumulation, but it is more about planned burning rather than immediate fuel removal in anticipation