Single Publication

Direct or Indirect Containment? What’s the Difference?
 
In wildfire news you will hear the important term, “containment line.” So what is it? A containment line is
the fireline constructed around a fire intended to be used to stop the spread and intensity of fire on the
ground. A fireline needs to be vegetation free to prevent ground spread of fire. It can be a wide path of dirt,
a road, a body of water, a rock face, or other natural or man-made barrier. A containment line creates a
division between burned and unburned areas. Before firefighters label a fireline as a containment line, they
must be certain it will stop the fire.

There are two types of fireline, “direct” and “indirect.” Direct line is on the fire’s edge, and indirect is not.

Many factors must be taken into consideration before determining what type of fireline to build. Wind, fuel type(s), fire behavior, and accessibility are a few of these factors.
 
For full article with photos click here