Wildland Firefighter Safety
Prepared By:
Kelley Jensen
Objectives

Discuss LCES
 Discuss the Ten Standard Fire Orders
 Discuss the Eighteen “Watch Out”
Situations
 Discuss the common denominators on
fatality fires
LCES
(AKA “Laces”)

Invented by Paul Gleason while
Superintendent of the Zigzag Hotshot Crew

Conceived June 26, 1990 while working the
Dude Fire in the Tonto National Forest near
Phoenix, AZ which killed 6 firefighters
LCES

Lookouts
 Communications
 Escape Routes
 Safety Zones
LCES essentially covers all 10 standing orders and all 18
watch-outs.
(And is a lot easier to remember!!)
10 Standing Orders

Implemented in 1957 by a US Government
task force studying the death of 13
smokejumpers in Montana in 1949

Shortly after creation, were incorporated
into Wildland Firefighter training
nationwide
10 Standing Orders
1.
Keep informed on fire
weather conditions and
forecasts.
2.
Know what your fire is
doing at all times.
3.
Base all actions on current
and expected behavior of
the fire.
4.
Identify escape routes and
make them known.
5.
Post lookouts when there is
possible danger.
10 Standing Orders
6.
Be alert, Keep calm, Think
clearly, Act decisively.
7.
Maintain prompt
communications with your
forces, your supervisor,
and adjoining forces.
8.
Give clear instructions and
insure they are understood.
9.
Maintain control of your
forces at all times.
10.
Fight fire aggressively,
having provided for safety
first.
18 Situations That Shout
“Watch Out”

Developed Shortly after the Standard Firefighting
Orders were incorporated into firefighter training

These 18 situations are more specific and cautionary
than the Standard Fire Orders

Describe situations that expand the 10 points of the Fire
Orders

If firefighters follow the Standard Firefighting Orders
and are alerted to the 18 Watch Out Situations, much of
the risk of firefighting can be reduced
18 Situations That Shout
“Watch Out”
1.
Fire not scouted and sized up.
2.
In country not seen in
daylight.
3.
Safety zones and escape routes
not identified.
4.
Unfamiliar with weather and
local factors influencing fire
behavior.
5.
Uninformed on strategy,
tactics, and hazards.
18 Situations That Shout
“Watch Out”
6.
Instructions and assignments
not clear.
7.
No communication link with
crewmembers/supervisors.
8.
Constructing line without
safe anchor point.
9.
Building fireline downhill
with fire below.
10.
Attempting a frontal assault
on a fire.
18 Situations That Shout
“Watch Out”
11.
Unburned fuel between
you and the fire.
12.
Cannot see main fire, not
in contact with anyone
who can.
13.
On a hillside where
rolling material can ignite
fuel below.
14.
Weather is getting hotter
and drier.
15.
Wind increases and/or
changes direction.
18 Situations That Shout
“Watch Out”
16.
Getting frequent
spot fires across line.
17.
Terrain and fuels
make escape to
safety zones difficult.
18.
Taking a nap near
the fireline.
COMMON DENOMINATORS ON
FATALITY FIRES

Study of previous wildland firefighter
deaths has shown some common factors in
nearly all of them

Review of these factors is a requirement for
refresh training of Red Card personnel
COMMON DENOMINATORS ON
FATALITY FIRES

Most incidents happen on
small fires or on isolated
portions of larger fires

Most fires are innocent in
appearance before the
“flare-up” or “blow-ups.”
In some cases, tragedies
occur in the mop-up stage.

Flare-ups generally occur in
deceptively light fuels.
COMMON DENOMINATORS ON
FATALITY FIRES

Fires run uphill
surprisingly fast in
chimneys, gullies and
on steep slopes.

Some suppression tools,
such as helicopters or
air tankers, can
adversely affect fire
behavior. The blast of
air from low flying
helicopters and air
tankers have been
known to cause flareups.
Wrapping Up

Wildland Firefighting is a low-frequency,
high risk event for structural firefighters
 Periodic review and appropriate use of
LCES, the 10 Standing Fire Orders, and the
18 Watch-outs will help reduce some of that
risk.
 Be safe!
The End