Prepare for the Wildland Firefighting Exam with comprehensive study materials, flashcards, and multiple-choice questions designed to enhance your understanding of firefighting techniques and safety protocols. Get ready to ace your certification!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Backfiring is considered what type of fire control action?

  1. Direct

  2. Indirect

  3. Active

  4. Passive

The correct answer is: Indirect

Backfiring is classified as an indirect fire control action because it involves creating a fire intentionally to help control an existing wildfire. This technique works by removing fuel from the path of the fire, thereby limiting its spread and intensity. The backfire burns towards the main fire, utilizing the available fuels to consume them before the main fire can reach that area. This method is not directly fighting the fire but rather using the fire dynamics strategically to alter the behavior of the wildfire. Indirect tactics like backfiring require careful planning and consideration of the fire's behavior, weather conditions, and terrain to ensure that the operation is effective and safe. While direct methods focus on suppression efforts like using hoses or fire engines to put the fire out, backfiring represents an approach where firefighters manipulate the fire itself as a means of control.