"Wildland-urban fire emergency strategy and tactics differ from either the standard wildland or the standard urban fire suppression practices. Wildland fire suppression largely attempts to keep a fire from spreading beyond its current location. That is, keeping the wildfire away from a valued area protects the values at risk. Urban fire suppression initially addresses life safety (principally building occupants) and then fire containment within a portion of the structure and/or prevents adjacent structure involvement. Neither of the wildland nor the urban suppression practices typically provide for home ignition potential reduction given an encroaching wildfire. Wildland-urban strategy and tactics assume the wildfire may pass through the residential area without wildfire containment.
The wildland-urban strategy and tactics principally focus on preparing the home for the wildfire by reducing the potential for home ignition within the home ignition zone."
- Jack Cohen, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, USDA Forest Service
National Fire Protection Association Report
- NFPA Wildland/Urban Interface: Fire Department Wildfire Preparedness and Readiness Capabilities Report
This report is based on over 40 interviews with fire chiefs and senior line officers about "how some local fire departments are addressing the wildfire peril in terms [of] equipment, training, fitness, response strategies and tactics, public communication, education, and mitigation activities."
Foundations for Wildland Firefighting - Graphic Representations from the NWCG
- NWCG - 10 Standard Firefighting OrdersFirst established in 1957, the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders are a series of steps firefighters should take when responding to a wildland fire. (Number 6 pictured above)
- NWCG - 18 Watch Out SituationsThe National Wildland Coordinating Group gives a picture for each Watch Out scenario: a set of circumstances in which firefighters should be aware of increased risk.
CAL FIRE
- CAL FIRE - Wildland Urban Interface Operating Principles
Published in 2014, this document "is intended as a reference to provide readers with the tools necessary to better respond to, command, and understand incidents involving the wildland urban interface (WUI)." - IAFF - Structure Defense Guide CardThe International Association of Firefighters produced this summary to help firefighters quickly review the important parts of the structure triage decision process: S-FACTS (pg. 81 in the manual above).
Firescope California
- Firescope California - 2013 WUI Structure Defense DocumentThis 2013 document focuses on tactical actions to take during wildland-urban interface structural defense, with a focus on firefighter safety. See Firescope's 2022 Field Operations Guide for updates to these strategies and frameworks.
- Firehouse - Fighting Fire within the Wildland-Urban InterfaceChad Costa explains how he implemented the Structure Defense Tactical Actions and Tactical Engagement Process from Firescope's WUI Structure Defense Document (linked above) during the LNU Lightning Complex in 2017.
- Firescope California - 2022 Field Operations GuideThe 2022 update of the Firescope California Field Operation Guide contains significant revisions to the sections on WUI Structure Defense. Users can download the free app version of the guide, or buy a paper copy.