The use of backfire extinguishers and the creation of a body of specially trained firefighters, with the ability to operate in the forest is the only method of extinguishing forest fires by the Forest Fire Department. Responsible for the use of this method are the forest firefighters of newly established special units of forest enterprises, also known as forest-fighters (fire-rangers).
The use of fire by the Forest Fire Brigade to extinguish an outdoor fire is done using the methods of anti-fire (Backfire) and BurnOut. What is the difference between the two methods?
1. The Backfire method is defined as a controlled fire that is set to the side of the forehead. The aim is to merge it with the fire front, with the ultimate goal of automatically extinguishing or reducing the rate of fire spread. (for more information about the implementation or not of this method please read the analysis entitled “The Complex Way of Dealing with Mega-Fires” & “Truths that “Hurt” about the causes of Catastrophic Fires in Greece“).
2. The method of BurnOut respectively, firefighters put a controlled fire not in the course of the fire front, but in its perimeter. They essentially create fire zones by “minimizing”, as described, the possibility of the fire jumping over the zone with fire radiation or fire spots (for more information about the implementation or not of this method please read the analysis entitled “How to fight the Armageddon Type Heat Wave that Swept Canada, the Western United States and Siberia” & “Dante’s Hell over California-USA“).
The use of fire to deal with forest fires is provided as a procedure only when the fire can not be controlled by other means and if deemed necessary by the head of the forest fire department who is responsible for coordinating the firefighting operation. Prior to the implementation of the Backfire and BurnOut methods, respectively, a special fire-fighting implementation plan must be prepared, while informing the local government, the forest service and the police in order to be required to assist in the work of the firefighters. Only in the event of an emergency to protect against imminent danger to life can the head of the forest fire department use the Burnout method without drawing up a special fire-fighting application plan.
The forest rangers are essentially infantry units of the forest fire service consisting of young firefighters, with previous service, usually, in the special forces of the Armed Forces of their country. In fact, they can be transported by helicopters near the source of the fire and can operate in the forest, ie before the flames reach near the road network or the urban fabric. For this purpose, in fact, the forest fire services usually have or rent personnel transport helicopters. The goal is for the first group to be within less than 15 minutes near the front of the fire, instead of the three hours it takes pedestrians fire-fighters to reach the fire by bus or motor-vehicles.
