Firefighting in the Urban Interface presents hazards and challenges not typically associated with wildland fires: powerline, fuel tanks, yard debris, septic tanks, hazardous materials stored in shed such as paints and pesticides, to name a few. The presence of structures near a wildland fire may dictate where firefighters take tactical action, which may not be an ideal location to try to engage a wildfire. Many firefighters have been injured or killed trying to protect structures in areas they would not have been engaged if the structures weren’t present.

Due to the hazard nature of structure protection operations, wildland firefighters receive special training to deal with the hazards associated with fighting fire in the Urban Interface, and follow strict safety protocols to prevent them from taking unnecessary risks when confronted with the psychological factors of protecting life and property.

The following pages are taken directly from the Incident Response Pocket Guide and are included here to provide an idea of the decision making firefighters must go through during structure protection operations, and what actions you may be able to take on your property to make it safer for fighterfighters.