Learn wildland fire science, fire prevention, suppression tactics, and forest ecosystem management to earn this merit badge.
Requirements
Fire History & Evolution
History of Wildland Fire
Research and discuss with your counselor the history of wildland fire, its suppression, prevention, and management in the United States.
Wildfire Impacts
Harms of Wildfire
Do allResearch the harm caused by wildfire in the United States, including annual acres burned for the past three years. Discuss with your counselor. Include the negative impacts that wildfire has on the following:
- a Commercial forest products
- b Fish and wildlife habitat
- c Soil and water
- d Recreation and public use
- e Homes, communities, and human resources
- f Air quality and public health
Ecological Fire Use
Fire as a Management Tool
Do allDiscuss with your counselor how prescribed fire is used to accomplish the following:
- a Fuel reduction
- b Fish and wildlife habitat enhancement
- c Ecosystem restoration
- d Forest regeneration
- e Insect and disease control
Prevention & Mitigation
Do allWildfire Prevention and Mitigation. Discuss the following with your counselor:
- a.
Wildfire Causes & Prevention
Do allWildfire Prevention:
- 1.
The main causes of wildfire in the United States
- 2.
How you can prevent human caused wildfires in your community and on outings with your unit.
- 1.
- b.
WUI & Defensible Space
Do allWildfire Mitigation:
- 1.
Wildland-Urban Interface
- 2.
Defensible space and how homes and communities in the wildland-urban interface can be protected from wildfire
- 1.
- a.
Fire Physics & Behavior
Fire Behavior
Do allDo the following:
- a.
Discuss with your counselor how the fire environment affects wildland fire behavior. Include examples of the influences of weather, topography, and fuel.
- b.
Explain how a wildfire can be suppressed by removing heat, fuel, or oxygen.
- c.
Draw a diagram to illustrate the parts of a wildfire.
- a.
Firefighter Safety
Do allWildland Firefighter Safety. Do the following:
- a.
Firefighter Gear & PPE
Discuss with your counselor the personal protective equipment used by wildland firefighters and its use.
- b.
Safety Orders & LCES
Do allDiscuss the following with your counselor, including why each is an important consideration for maintaining personal safety and situational awareness during wildland fire suppression activities:
- 1 10 Standard Firefighting Orders
- 2 18 Watch Out Situations
- 3 Lookouts, Communication, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES)
- a.
Suppression Tactics & ICS
Do allWildfire Suppression Tactics. Do the following:
- a.
Suppression Tactics Overview
Do allAlone or with a small team, using the diagram you created in Requirement 5(c) or a map of a wildfire, and tokens to represent firefighting resources, demonstrate the following wildland fire suppression tactics. Explain under which conditions each tactic would be used:
- 1 Direct attack
- 2 Indirect attack
- 3 Minimum impact suppression tactics
- 4 Use of hand crews, machinery, and aircraft
- 5 Mop-up
- 6 Repair and restoration
- b.
Incident Command System
Draw a diagram of the Incident Command System. Alone or with your team, explain the responsibilities of the Command and General Staff positions on a wildfire incident.
- a.
Fire Tools & Equipment
Wildfire Suppression Tools
Do allDo the following:
- a.
Demonstrate the use of three hand tools unique to wildland fire suppression. Use one of these tools to demonstrate how to construct a fireline.
- b.
Discuss seven other tools, equipment, or apparatus that are unique to wildland fire suppression and explain how these resources are used.
- a.
Community Preparedness
Taking Action
Choose 1Do ONE of the following:
Case Studies & Careers
Apply Your Learning to a Real Event
Research an historic catastrophic wildland fire incident that occurred in the United States. Discuss with your counselor and/or your troop or a group approved by your counselor the conditions that led to the incident, how the incident was managed, and how the incident could have been prevented. Explain what lessons were learned and how this incident affected future fire suppression policy or suppression tactics.
Case Studies & Careers
Careers in Wildland Fire Management
Explore careers related to this merit badge. Research one career to learn about the training and education needed, costs, job prospects, salary, job duties, and career advancement. Your research methods may include-with your parent or guardian’s permission-an internet or library search, an interview with a professional in the field, or a visit to a location where people in this career work. Discuss with your counselor both your findings and what about this profession might make it an interesting career.