May 2009

Table 4-2. SCI/SHOBA Fire Danger Rating System (including TARs in SHOBA). Also applies to areas north of SHOBA outside of TAR use.

Fire Danger Rating Caution to Be Exercised Necessary Precautions
LOW <4 mph 20-ft wind speed> 11-12% 1-hr FFM Use normal caution during military training exercises. Fires may start easily, but will have low rate of spread and fire intensity, i.e. less than 30 acres of spread per hour. Care should be taken; however, any type of ammunition can be used during this condition. Consistent with NALFSCIINST 5560.4D, smoking is not permitted in vehicles or in remote areas of SCI.* Any designated training area with required fuel treatment using retardant fuelbreaks and strip burning must be completed by start of fire season annually.
MODERATE 4-5 mph 20-ft wind speed 11-12% 1-hr FFM Use extra caution. Fires may start very easily. Fires are expected to have moderate rate of spread and fire intensity. i.e. less than 100 acres of spread per hour. All Low Fire Danger Precautions, and all required fuelbreaks are in place. This condition is the beginning of a fire ignition concern. Any type of small arms rounds or other non-incendiary ordnance may be used within designated ranges. The use of pyrotechnics, demolitions, white phosphorous and illumination ammunition and other heat/flame producing devices within designated training areas (outside of SHOBA Impact Area I & II or other area with fuel treatment meeting standards of the Fire Management Plan or its amendment) will be limited as much as possible to night time activity, a cleared area, or areas previously burned over. Training exercises using heat/flame producing devices will be conducted in the night time, early morning (before 1000 hours) or late evening (after 1900 hours) when relative humidities can be expected to be at their maximum.
HIGH 6-8-mph 20-ft. wind speed 9-10% 1-hr FFM Use extra caution. Fires are expected to have high rate-ofspread and fire intensity. More than 100 acres of spread per hour. All Moderate Fire Danger Precautions, and all required fuelbreaks are in place. A helicopter will be placed on fire alert on SCI between 0900 and one-half hour after sunset whenever training activities are scheduled within SHOBA such that the aircraft can be airborne in 5 minutes. Other SCI military helicopter missions can take place during this fire alert; however, a fire dispatch should be given a high priority. North of SHOBA and apart from NSWG TAR use, a quick-attack fire engine and crew will meet the 3-minute notification, 5-minute getaway, and 30-minute on-site criteria in the event of a fire. This fire suppression apparatus scheduling and location to be coordinated with SCORE. Use of TARs north of SHOBA is guided by a separate FDRS.
VERY HIGH Extra protection caution. Fires will start easily and spread rapidly. All High Fire Danger Precautions are in place. Firing of all types of ammunition will be permitted at all times, unless restricted by the Range Manager.
9-10 mph 20-ft Fires are expected to exceed 100 Restrictions on the use of pyrotechnics, demolitions, illumination ammunition and heat/flame
wind speed acres in one hour and burn very producing devices (including tracers), and white phosphorous will be in place for
5-8% 1-hr FFM hot. Fires will be hard to contain at designated roads and fuel treat ment areas without aerial suppres sion assets and 2 wildland fire engine companies. all other designated training areas during the period of 0800 to one-half hour after sunset. However, these restrictions will not apply to night time (1900 to 0800 hours) training activities, in cleared areas or previously burned areas. A helicopter with crew and water bucket is to be placed on fire alert during daylight hours whenever training activities are scheduled within SHOBA. This helicopter will be allowed to conduct other missions, providing the water bucket and water re-fill capabilities are appropriately placed such as at VC-3 or the helopad at OP-3, and ready for pick up by the helicopter crew, and meets the criteria of a 30-minute elapsed time for responding to the site of any fire occurring on the southern end of SCI. Firefighting will then be designated as the "highest priority" mission, except for those routine ignitions within SHOBA Impact Area I & II. Fires inside SHOBA Impact Area I & II that have the potential to go beyond Impact Area I & II boundaries will be considered the same as any other wildland fire during this fire danger period. All other fires within Impact Area I & II will not be considered "highest priority" missions. Outside of SHOBA, a quick-attack wildland fire engine, with a 3-person crew, is to be located in the vicinity where the highest fire hazard military training is taking place. This means a safe distance away with line-of-sight visibility, as approved by the Range Safety Officer/Safety Observer. The decision about where to put standby firefighting resources will be approved by the Wildland Fire Coordinator, who will coordinate with the Range Safety Officer/Safety Observer and with SCORE.
EXTREME Use extreme caution and allow only essential and high cost military All Very High Fire Danger Precautions are in place. A helicopter, pilot and crew will be on ready fire alert at the SCI Auxiliary Landing Field, and
>10 mph 20-ft training operations to continue will not be assigned any other mission, except upon specific agreement between the Wildland
wind speed under these conditions. Fires will Fire Coordinator and the Range Manager.
<5% 1-hr FFM spread at extreme rates of speed and by long distance spotting. Fires will burn at unacceptable intensities.  
* NALFSCIINST 5560.4D defines remote areas as anywhere except Wilson Cove, Airfield, West Cove Beach and paved roadways, which includes the unpaved portion of SCI Ridge Road south of VC-3 to Stone Gate. No smoking between the plane and the terminal at the Airfield.