The bottom line of fire danger ratings in the day-to-day operations of a fire management program are the Decisions Classes and the preplanned management actions keyed to the Decisions Classes. Fire managers use NFDRS components and indices to calculate Decision Classes. The three Decision Classes used to describe fire danger and base daily decisions and actions on are :

Staffing Levels	used for daily response
Adjective Classes	used for prevention programs
Industrial Fire Precaution Levels	used for industry regulation

Each agency or user determines decision levels that are appropriate for their situation and location considering topography, climate, historical fire occurrence, fuels, resource values, agency policy, etc. NFDRS components and indexes range from 0 to 150. Land management agencies break these ranges into four to six discrete classes to which management actions are keyed. The number of classes usually matches the number of options or actions available to the land manager. The class limits correspond to the threshold of a need for a higher or lower level of response. For instance, the lower limit for a Staffing Level IV may be fixed at a level of fire danger that in the past has shown that air tankers are often needed for initial attack.

STAFFING LEVELS - (RESPONSE)

Staffing Levels are used to trigger presuppression and/or preplanned initial attack actions by a state or federal land management agency. Agencies determine the number of staffing levels that best represent their incremental needs for specific levels of suppressions actions. Staffing Levels are determined using percentiles of a selected NFDRS component or index. For example, the USFS uses the 90th and 97th percentiles of the Energy Release Component, while the Bureau of Land Management uses the 80th and 95th percentiles of the Burning Index. Percentiles are determined from statistical analysis of historical NFDRS components and indexes using frequency distribution tables and graphs.

Percentiles used for one area and/or fuel model may result in lower or higher predicted fire danger when used in another area and/or fuel model.

ADJECTIVE CLASS - (PREVENTION)

PHOTO COURTESY JIM PRANGE

Adjective classes are used to communicate fire danger to the general public. There are five, commonly-used, adjective classes designated as Low (L), Moderate (M), High (H), Very High (V) and Extreme (E)

Adjective Classes cannot always be the same as the Staffing Levels because the target group, the public, can't be "whiplashed" back and forth from one set of restrictions to another. The need is for a class that is conservative in time and over relatively large areas. Since Adjective Classes apply to such large areas, there are usually several agencies involved. Adjective classes are escalated at a relative rate which looks as far ahead in time as possible to avoid unnecessary, short-term changes.

Using the area-weighted average Ignition Component (IC), the area-weighted Staffing Levels (SL), and the adjective fire-danger matrix shown below, WIMS determines the area-weighted adjective fire-danger rating (R) for public use within a geographic area.

Staffing Level (SL)	Adjective fire-danger (R)
1	0	0	0	0	0
1-,1,1+	L	L	L	M	M
2-,2,2+	L	M	M	M	H
3-,3,3+	M	M	H	H	V
4-,4,4+	M	H	V	V	E
5	H	V	V	E	E
Ignition Component (IC)	0-20	21-45	46-65	66-80	81-100

By law, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) uses two closure systems for reducing the risk of wildfires on 12 million acres of private- and state-owned land in the state of Washington. The second closure system, called the Public Use Restrictions, is aimed at the general public, but also includes local residents, landowners, recreationists, and forest workers. This system is activated when needed during the fire season. Wood workers are required to observe both sets of regulations as the fire danger dictates, whereas the general public is only required to follow the public use restrictions.

DNR Public Use Restrictions

From April 15 through October 15, or longer if the fire danger warrants, the following restrictions are in effect:









Summer Fire Rules	1. Cigarette smoking on forest land is only allowed within vehicles. 2. Fireworks may not be lit on forest land, and 3. the non-industrial use of chain saws needs to follow IFPL requirements.


Burn Ban	During burn bans initiated by DNR, all open fires are prohibited. Burn bans cover all lands protected by DNR and may also include land protected by local fire departments or other federal agencies.


Closed Entry Areas	Where high fire danger exists, DNR may designate certain areas as regions of extra fire hazard. Land closed to entry is only open to local residents and woods workers carrying out their industrial jobs. All other land use is restricted, including recreational use.


Forestland Closure	When extreme fire weather conditions exist, DNR may issue an order restricting all access by all people to all activities on certain private and public forest lands. These closures, which are very rare, may even restrict local residents from returning home if the fire danger warrants it.

INDUSTRIAL FIRE PRECAUTION LEVEL - (INDUSTRY REGULATION)

The DNR, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs all use the same four-level industrial regulation system to regulate industrial activities in the forested areas of Washington. The four industrial fire precaution levels are described below:

IFPL I	Closed Fire Season	Fire equipment and fire watch service is required
IFPL II	Partial Hootowl	Certain activities limited to the hours between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
IFPL III	Partial Shutdown	Prohibits some activities and limits others to the hours between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
IFPL IV	General Shutdown	All operations are prohibited

Communications with this group is relatively efficient, so the precaution levels are applied on a time-space resolution as fine as administratively feasible. Even diurnal variations in fire danger can be considered because some activities may be potential fire starters only during that time of the day when fire danger is at a maximum. Every effort is made to allow industrial operations to continue, restricting specific activities only when it is clear that high fire danger exists. For instance, on a IFPL III day, felling and yarding are only allowed until 1300 local time. In this case, the "normal" diurnal pattern of fire danger is recognized and the advantage given to the operator.

In Washington and Oregon, the 4 level Industrial Fire Precaution Level System is based upon the Ignition Component and the Energy Release Component. Mathematical calculations of a Precaution Value are translated into an IFPL level.

Other DNR land management decisions based on NWS fire weather forecasts

1. DNR can declare burn bans when Red Flag Warnings are in effect for east winds and low relative humidities.

2. Strike teams of 2 to 3 people assigned to an engine are prepositioned when fire weather forecasts include an LAL of 3, 4, 5, or 6. Patrol activities in the forests will be increased.

3. DNR can prohibit industrial forest activities when relative humidity is less than 30% or when windy conditions are expected.

4. Closed fire season can be extended when fire danger remains high into the fall months.

5. Fire suppression contracts (e.g., air tankers, caterers, fire crews, showers, etc.) can be extended when fire danger remains high in the fall.

6. Opening of hunting season can be delayed due to high fire danger.

Please refer any questions or comments about this web site to: john.werth@noaa.gov