A strip of land cleared of all flammable vegetation down to bare mineral soil. It is constructed to halt a spreading wildfire by starving it of fuel. Crews create these barriers using hand tools, heavy equipment like bulldozers, or controlled burns, depending on the terrain and the fire's speed.
Heard on the job
The dozer is cutting a firebreak along the ridge to keep the head from crossing into the valley.
Insider tip
A firebreak is only effective if it is wider than the flame length and heavily patrolled for spot fires crossing the gap.
Also heard as
- fire line
- containment line