If you are responding to a fire as part of a community response, please do so with the utmost caution. Fighting a wildfire is an inherently dangerous task that is often best left to professionals who have the appropriate equipment, training, and safety gear to engage with a wildfire, and more importantly, have the knowledge of when not to engage. If you are going to engage, it’s important to follow the LACES safety protocol, which is a tool used by wildfire fighters across Canada.
- Lookout: Having a lookout keep an eye on changing conditions such as wind shifts or a fire responding to changes in fuel type (different types of trees or brush) or different terrain features. While there may not always be an appropriate location for a lookout it is crucial to always maintain situational awareness and be able to communicate when to pull back.
- Anchor Point: An anchor point is a geographic feature from which to begin suppression operations. It can be a body of water, an area of open rock, or the back end of the fire. It must be something substantial enough that the fire will not be able to get around behind you and cause an entrapment. Once an anchor point has been established, work progressively along the edge of the fire from that point. Do not jump to the front of the fire as it will spread on both sides of you.
- Communication: Ensure that responders are able to communicate with each other and that there is a mechanism in place to ensure that hazards or changing conditions can be effectively communicated to all personnel attending the fire. An easy way to do this is to pair people into groups of 3-5 with a leader assigned, and then 1 person responsible for all groups. The 1 person responsible for all, ensures that any information passed to them is passed to all other group leaders, and all group leaders are responsible for information being passed to their group members.
- Escape Routes: Everyone must have access to a clearly defined escape route and know which way to go in the event of an emergency. Things can change quickly, and this route must be preplanned and clearly communicated to all responders.
- Safety Zones: Escape routes must lead to safety zones. A safety zone is an area where the fire would be unable to reach and will serve as a marshaling point if people are forced to withdraw. A good plan is to place the safety zone on an upwind island where people can regroup and confirm that all personnel are off the fire.