BY ALAN M. PETRILLO
Sixty wildland firefighters are carrying one of four new fire shelter prototypes for “wear testing” as part of the continuing Fire Shelter Project Review, administered by the United States Department of Agriculture’s United States Forest Service (USFS) National Technology and Development Program and initiated in 2014 to identify possible improvements to the fire shelter system.
Four Prototypes
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Fire Shelter Subcommittee, which comprises federal, state, and local wildland firefighters; wildfire safety specialists; fire management officers; and other fire shelter users, selected the four new fire shelter prototypes for wear testing. Sixty prototypes of four different new fire shelter designs that have shown improved performance in lab tests were issued to wildland firefighters to evaluate the durability of the shelters. The wildfire environment is very rugged, and fire shelters must be carried by wildland firefighters for years yet still be functional when needed.
1 One of the prototype fire shelters is shown being prepared for a flame test at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. (Photos courtesy of United States Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management, National Interagency Fire Center.)
Two of the new fire shelter prototypes are designed for ground firefighters, and 20 of each of these prototypes were issued to Interagency Hotshot Crew members for wear testing. The other two new fire shelter prototypes, which were determined to be too bulky for ground firefighters, are being tested by engine and equipment operators. Ten of each of the two bulkier prototypes were issued. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the USFS have a cooperative work agreement for this project, and two of the prototype fire shelters are NASA designs.
“The biggest job that a fire shelter has to do is be carried around by a wildland firefighter all day, every day, all season long,” says Tony Petrilli, Fire Shelter Review leader with the USFS National Technology and Development Program. “That doesn’t lend itself to the use of a lot of materials that can withstand high temperatures because of weight, bulk, durability, and toxicity.”
Shelter Construction
The fire shelter is an aluminized cloth tent that offers protection in a wildland fire entrapment situation by reflecting radiant heat and providing a volume of breathable air. The current version, Model 2002, is shaped like a half cylinder with rounded ends. The previous version of the fire shelter was triangular prism-shaped, similar to a small one-person tent. Fire shelters have been required as personal protective equipment since 1977.
The Model 2002 fire shelter comprises two layers, with an outer layer of woven silica laminated to aluminum foil. The foil reflects radiant heat, and the silica cloth slows
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