Fighting Fires

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources fire response system consolidates command and control of fire fighting resources which allows the best use of total fire fighting capability.

The Ministry Emergency Operations Centre (MEOC) in Sault Ste. Marie monitors the provincial fire situation and coordinates forest fire operations by setting provincial priorities and allocating resources. Regional Response Centres at Dryden and Sudbury are responsible for daily fire operations within their respective fire region. Field level fire response is delivered from Fire Management Headquarters and Attack bases.

Aviation services operate a modern fleet of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. While much of the flying is in support of forest fire management, the multi-service air fleet also flies in support of a number of specialty provincial resource management programs.

The Initial Attack Fire Cycle is comprised of these steps: Alerts; Fire is Reported; Dispatch; Enroute to Fire; Arrival at the Fire; Initial Attack; Stages of Control; Debriefing/Retrieval.

A fire can be stopped by breaking the fire triangle through the removal of one or more of its components -- heat, air or fuel (see Fire Behaviour).

Understanding how fire works is important in wildfire control and use of fire as an eco-system management tool. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources promotes the study of fire science, including fire behaviour and the effect of fire on the environment. The information gained from this study is used to develop new techniques, computer models and tools that improve forest fire management decision-making, safety, and efficiency.