the manner in which fire is ignited as part of suppression efforts or a prescribed burn —note 1. the distance between ignition lines or points and the sequence of igniting them is determined by weather, fuel, topography, firing technique, other factors that influence fire behavior and fire effects, and management objectives —note 2. basic ignition patterns include the following:

—area ignition lighting several individual fires throughout an area to be burned, either simultaneously or in rapid succession, and spaced so that they soon interact to produce a hot, fast-spreading fire throughout the area —synonym simultaneous ignition

—back firing lighting a fire at the uphill or downwind edge of the unit and allowing it to spread downhill or into the wind —note 1. in fire suppression, a backfire is intended to strengthen fire suppression action on wildfires —note 2. in prescribed burning, a backfire is intended to control fire movement in relation to wind or slope —see fire behavior

—center firing lighting a fire in one (edge firing) or more concentric rings to increase indraft and fireline intensity —synonym ring firing

—chevron firing lighting a fire by burners proceeding simultaneously downhill from the apex at a ridge point —note chevron firing is a special case of flank firing

—flank firing lighting a fire by burners progressing simultaneously into the wind or downhill, so that the fire spreads at a right angle to the wind or across the slope

—head firing lighting a fire at the upwind or downhill edge of a unit, so that the fire spreads rapidly with the wind or uphill

—spot head firing lighting a fire in spots in lines across the unit, beginning near the downwind or uphill end of the unit and then in successive lines progressively farther into the wind or downhill

—strip head firing lighting a fire in lines across the unit, beginning near the downwind or uphill end of the unit and then in successive lines progressively farther into the wind or downhill This definition last updated 10/29/2008