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Before you treat water with fire chemicals you first have to treat those chemicals with awareness
and respect. Knowing how to work with chemicals safely is paramount to you and the forests you
want to protect. The safety and health issues involved can be broken down to human safety,
environmental safety, environmental monitoring, risk assessment, and transportation.
Let's take a brief look at each. Every approved fire chemical has been tested for toxicity and
comes with its own safety data sheet, or SDS. Just because a chemical has an SDS doesn't necessarily
mean the chemical is hazardous. It's meant to provide you with general safety information,
such as what personal protective equipment is needed when it's used,
what the chemical safe handling practices are, and how to dispose of it properly.
You'll find safety data sheets on the Wildland Fire Chemical System Website.
In addition, be sure to follow the safety directions on the label of the
fire chemical container. At a minimum you should always have the following
personal protective equipment on hand when handling any wildfire chemical:
long sleeve shirt, and boots, eye goggles when working with liquid concentrates,
dust masks when mixing powdered chemicals, and gloves. Then keep these safety tips in mind
since some chemicals can be irritating to the eyes and skin. Make sure you rinse exposed
areas immediately with clean water. Creams or lotions can also help alleviate skin irritation.
If you inhale or ingest excessive quantities of the fire chemical make sure you follow its safety
data sheet guideline for treatment. And don't forget to consult that same SDS to see if there
are other protective equipment requirements for the particular chemicals you plan to use. Last
know that fire chemicals can be extremely slippery so be aware that falls and serious injury can
occur if you're not careful. We also need to take precautions when using them in the environment.
All fire chemicals on the qualified products list have been tested and may not exceed certain
toxicity criteria for mammalian or aquatic species. Nevertheless these chemicals can
have impacts to aquatic or other species if they're applied directly into water or
certain upland habitats. The Forest Service policy states that fire chemicals delivered
from air tankers and helicopters may not be applied within 300 feet of a waterway.
Policies of other agencies may be different. The Forest Service, or other agencies, may also
identify additional areas for avoidance that are outside these waterway areas.
That waterway is defined as any body of water, including lakes, rivers, and ponds. regardless
of whether they contain aquatic life. There are exceptions to the policy of avoiding aerially
delivered chemicals in and near waterways or other identified areas and these exceptions may vary by
land ownership. All firefighters are required to familiarize themselves with local requirements
including the location of any avoidance areas and any exceptions to the avoidance policy.
The unit administrator is the only individual who may approve an exception for use and deviation of
policy. If a drop occurs either as an exception, or accidentally, within 300 feet of any waterway,
or in any area that has been identified by an agency for avoidance,
such as threatened, endangered, protected, or sensitive species,
the event needs to be reported. So how do you report this type of incident? First, you bring it
to the attention of your incident commander, your supervisor, and a resource advisor if present.
Anyone who observes one of these events, regardless of agency, can complete the Interagency
Wildland Fire Chemical Reporting Form using the online reporting tool found on this website.
Additional reporting requirements, and site assessment, may be needed.
So be sure to ensure that a resource advisor, or a biologist assigned to the fire, is also notified.
It is already acknowledged that misapplications and use of the exception are going to occur.
That's part of doing our business. However, it's imperative that reporting of these events is
documented to further understand if adverse effects may occur. There will be no adverse
action or repercussions to employees, fire staff, air operations, or anyone for reporting
an event. Also, note that if a threatened or endangered species is exposed to fire chemicals,
monitoring may be required by your local unit, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, or NOAA Fisheries.
Another report you should be aware of, is a Risk Assessment. A Risk Assessment estimates
the risks to people in the environment associated with the use of chemicals. These assessments are
primarily based on current toxicity literature and studies, and are completed on each product
on the Qualified Products List. Is there risk in transporting chemicals? Fire chemicals are
not regulated as hazardous by the Department of Transportation, nor is their transportation
subject to Hazardous Material Regulations. The last consideration regarding the safe handling
of fire chemicals is how to dispose of them properly. Here are some tips
when you clean your equipment. Make sure you do so well away from any waterways or riparian areas.
When conducting a cleanup operation, take the necessary precautions to minimize and contain
any chemical spills. If there is a spill, don't spray water on the concentrates,
especially foams and gels. Instead use absorbent materials such as kitty litter, or sand,
to absorb as much of the product as possible before completing the cleanup with water. This
material can then be disposed of by putting it all in a garbage bag and placing it in the trash.
After the excess chemicals have been removed make sure you thoroughly rinse your equipment again.
Last, remember that fire chemicals can degrade leather,
so make sure you keep your clothes and boots clean and maintained.
Cleanup is not confined to just you and your equipment however. If you need to clean up
a structure that's been subjected to fire chemicals you should visit this website for
specific instructions. You can also contact the manufacturer of the specific product you used.
The USDA and US Forest Service have produced a series of videos that discuss Wildland Fire
Chemicals in more depth. We hope you'll view each one to learn more about these important topics.
You can also find more details on the Wildland Fire Chemical Systems website. Here you'll find
information on safety, environmental issues, product quality, mixing ratios, aerial delivery
systems,and other topics related to knowing when, and how, to use Wildland Fire Chemicals