Mop-up operations for a major forest fire typically take more time than fighting the main fire. Burned-over areas containing abundant fuel can be "troublesome," especially where there are piles of old "snags" underlain by a hot bed of coals. Smoldering embers buried deep in thick duff can be difficult to find and to extinguish. A ground crew is needed for both.

Where an urban area is nearby and high winds may cause the fire to flare-up again, effective and timely mop-up operations are important.

PLI's Fire-Fighting Module is transported by helicopter and can land at places which are inaccessible by ground-based fire engines. It is designed for a mop-up crew of 2 to 6 persons. With a water tank holding 400 gallons and a powerful pump, the module allows a mop-up crew to quickly suppress hot spots that otherwise could take days to burn out. Six hundred feet of lightweight, wildland fire hose provides a long "reach" from the module. Two hoses can be operated simultaneously.

The module can be operated in 4 modes: foam, fog, straight-stream, and with a mopup wand. The air aspirating nozzle delivers foam. Foam greatly increases the effectiveness of the water supply because it increases the volume of suppressant applied to the fire. Foam is used to "knock down" hot spots and to blanket a burning snag pile, cutting off the supply of oxygen. The low expansion foam drains quickly and penetrates to the interior of the snag pile. The combination nozzle generates fog or a straight stream. The mop-up wand is used to extinguish embers under large debris and down in the duff.

The tool box in the Fire-Fighting Module contains hand tools used in mop-up operations: fire-fighting shovels, Pulaski tools, McLeod tools, and a 5 gallon collapsible backpack tank.

The Heli-Basket^® is an attractive alternative to the cargo net for transporting rakes, chain saws, water tanks mounting on pack frames, and a larger water tank. It can serve as a temporary portable tool crib, which can be moved from place to place as the mop-up operation proceeds.

In the event that the fire "blows up," the slip-on unit can be moved out of the basket and the entire crew evacuated.

Home Site Map Products Forest Fire Fire-Fighting Module Structure Protection Chemicals Foam Gel Contact Us Orders

Last Updated on April 4, 2006 by Little Belt Consulting Services