18 Situations That Shout
"Watch Out!"

A large part of being safe is being aware of what's around you particularly those things that could point to one of eighteen dangerous situations. The "18 Situations That Shout Watch Out!" make up the wildland firefighter's survival checklist. Should you find yourself in any of these situations, your life is in danger-so it's worth taking time to review them every time you prepare to fight a wildland fire. Here they are...

Number one:

The fire is not scouted and sized up.

Number two:

You're in country not seen in daylight.

Number three:

Your safety zones and escape routes aren't identified.

Number four:

You're unfamiliar with weather and local factors influencing fire behavior .

Number five:

You're uninformed on strategy, tactics and hazards .

Number six:

Instructions and assignments are not clear.

Number seven:

You have no communication link with crew members and supervisors.

Number eight:

You're constructing a line without a safe anchor point.

Number nine:

You're building a fireline downhill with fire below.

Number ten:

You're attempting a frontal assault on the fire.

Number eleven:

There is unburned fuel between you and the fire.

Number twelve:

You cannot see the main fire, and you're not in contact with anyone who can.

Number thirteen:

You're on a hillside where rolling material can ignite fuel below.

Number fourteen:

The weather is getting hotter and drier.

Number fifteen:

Wind increases and/or changes direction.

Number sixteen:

You're getting frequent spot fires across the fire line.

Number seventeen:

Terrain and fuels make escape to safety zones difficult.

Number eighteen:

You feel like taking a nap near the fireline.

This is a checklist to keep handy at all times, so that if you do find yourself in one of these "watch out!" situations, you can take action.

But what do you do?

That's where the ten standard fire fighting orders come in. Every fire management employee is required to learn them-but a brief refresher course never hurts.