The Dead-Man Zone—a neglected area of firefighter safety

Summary

Firefighters engaged in parallel or indirect attack are working in a “dead-man zone” if they do not appreciate the time and space required to find a safe refuge. In this zone, if the wind direction changes, the fire can advance so rapidly that the firefighters have very little time to seek refuge in the burnt area behind a suppressed portion of line, or egress elsewhere, before the fire overwhelms them. We discuss three bushfire incidents in Australia where firefighters were trapped and killed, and the development of fire spread in forest fuels from a line start. A table illustrating the distance that a line fire can travel in five minutes under different fire danger conditions is presented. Factors that affect the speed of the firefighter's reaction to changed circumstances, and safe work practices, arc discussed.