2023_FirePlan_ForContractorsAndCrew.docx

FIRE PLAN

For Construction Contracts

PURPOSE

May 13, 2020

The purpose of this fire plan is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires starting from a contractor’s operations on National Forest System lands. The content of this plan must be followed year around. For the purpose of this plan, contractors include any contractor or subcontractor, and suppliers or service personnel engaged in welding and/or grinding operations under a contract issued by the Southwestern Regional Office of the U.S. Forest Service for work on National Forest land.

When operating on National Forest land, the contractor shall each day determine the current Staged Restriction Level, whether a Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the area involved, and take the appropriate fire precautions and actions as outlined in this Plan. The contractor shall also inform any and all of their subordinates as indicated above and ensure their compliance. The contractor may contact the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for clarification on this information.

The contractor shall at all times have a copy of this Plan available. The contractor shall clearly designate, in writing, a fireguard and indicate what actions will be taken should a fire occur, including the process for notifying the COR/OSC of that fact.

STAGED FIRE PRECAUTION LEVELS

NO RESTRICTIONS

STAGE I

STAGE II

PARTIAL or COMPLETE FOREST CLOSURE **

RED FLAG WARNING

(Issued by National Weather Service)

Deviations from the Fire Plan shall be agreed to in writing between the contractor and the COR.

STAGED FIRE PRECAUTION LEVELS – LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS

The contractor shall conform to the following conditions:

No Restrictions - General Fire Precautions apply: No contractor supplied fireguard required except for welding, grinding and blasting operations. For operations requiring a Fire Guard, the fireguard duration includes one hour after such operations cease.

STAGE I - General Fire Precautions apply plus: Contractor shall provide fireguard for all operations. Fireguard duration includes three hours after operations cease, or by other written authorization issued by the COR. Example alternatives include thorough water spray of area surrounding operations eliminating need for a fire guard until the next day’s operations.

STAGE II - General Fire Precautions apply plus: All internal combustion-powered equipment use as well as blasting and welding operations will shut down from 9:00 am until 8:00 pm Mountain Standard Time. Contractor’s operations on mineral soil involving activities such as road excavation, watering, grading, surfacing, rock crushing, and/or other equipment maintenance may continue. The contractor shall provide fireguard. Fireguard duration includes three hours after operations cease.

Within PARTIAL or COMPLETE FOREST CLOSURE - The contractor shall shutdown all operations except that those operations within the Closure area on mineral soil involving road excavation, watering, grading, gravel surfacing, and rock crushing may continue with special Forest Service permit. Blasting and welding are prohibited. The contractor shall provide fire guard. Fireguard duration includes three hours after operations cease, or as described in special Forest Service permit.

RED FLAG WARNING

A red flag warning is issued when the combination of dry fuels and weather conditions support extreme fire danger. Red flag warnings are issued by the National Weather Service for land and fire managers to highlight the increased fire danger.

· RED FLAG WARNING is issued if conditions are occurring or will occur within the next 24 hours that would support extreme fire danger.

When a Red Flag Warning is issued by the National Weather Service, all the contractor’s operations will adhere to COMPLETE FOREST CLOSURE precautions and will shut down operations until the Red Flag Warning is rescinded.

GENERAL FIRE PRECAUTION MEASURES (DURING ‘NO RESTRICTIONS’)

COMMUNICATIONS

The contractor shall ensure that a serviceable cell phone, satellite telephone or radio communication system is available to their fireguard which is capable of reliably providing communications between the contractor’s operations and the COR/OSC. In the the event of a wildland fire ignition the contractor shall contact the local fire dispatch center.

Phoenix Dispatch Center: 480-457-1555 Albuquerque Dispatch Center: 505-346-2260

FIRE TOOLS REQUIRED ON CONTRACTOR’S EQUIPMENT AT ALL TIMES

Passenger carrying vehicles, including pickup trucks and all-terrain vehicles, shall be equipped with one (1) long-handled round pointed shovel per routinely carried person in the vehicle, and one (1) ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher not less than 5 pounds capacity per vehicle. Each piece of heavy equipment (dump truck, dozer, excavator, backhoe, etc…) shall be equipped with one (1) ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher not less than 5 pounds capacity per vehicle.

SPARK ARRESTERS AND MUFFLERS

The contractor will ensure that each internal combustion engine shall be equipped with a spark arrester qualified and rated under USDA Forest Service Standard (Spark Arrester Guide) 5100-1a or the latest revision of Society of Automotive Engineers "medium size engine, SAE recommended practice J350" unless it is:

(a) Equipped with a turbine-driven exhaust supercharger such as the turbocharger. There shall be no exhaust bypass.

(b) A multi-position engine, such as on power saws purchased after 6/30/77 which must meet the performance levels set forth in the Society of Automotive Engineers "multi-positioned small engine exhaust fire ignition standard, SAE recommended practice J335B" as now or hereafter amended. Those purchased prior to the above date shall be equipped with an approved spark arrester/muffler containing a 0.023 inch mesh screen in good condition.

(c) A passenger carrying vehicle, light truck, or medium truck up to 40,000 GVW, designed for use on roads, and equipped with a factory designed muffler and an exhaust system in good working condition.

(d) A heavy duty truck, such as a dump truck, or other vehicle used for commercial hauling, used only on roads and equipped with a factory designed muffler and with a vertical stack exhaust system extending above the cab.

Exhaust equipment described in this Subsection, including spark arresters and mufflers, shall be properly installed, maintained in serviceable condition and not modified in any manner.

POWERED HAND TOOLS

Fueling or refueling of a powered handtool shall be done in an area which has been completely cleared of material which might carry fire. Powered hand tools shall be moved at least 10 feet from the place of fueling or refueling before starting.

GAS AND OIL STORAGE AND SERVICE AREAS

The location of equipment service and fuel storage areas shall be cleared of brush, litter, grass or other flammable debris for a radius of 50 feet or alternatively shall be thoroughly wetted with water immediately prior to equipment being serviced or fueled.

BURNING OF REFUSE

No slash or other debris, such as that resulting from clearing on right-of-way, shall be burned without the written consent of the COR.

BLASTING

Use of fuses in blasting shall not be permitted. A long-handled round-pointed shovel and at least five gallons of water for fire fighting purposes shall be available at the blast site at all times.

WELDING

An area of sufficient size but not less than a 10 foot radius from the work point shall be cleared down to mineral soil before welding operations are started. Prior to welding, the fireguard shall have available a round-pointed long-handled shovel, at least 5-gallons of water, and a 5-pound fire ABC dry chemical extinguisher at each welding site. The fire guard shall constantly perform their duties during welding and/or grinding operations and for one (1) hour after such work ends.

FIRE GUARDS

When welding, grinding or blasting operations occur during No Restrictions periods the fire guard shall constantly perform their duties during welding and/or grinding operations and for one (1) hour after such work ends, or by other written authorization issued by the COR. Example alternatives include thorough water spray of area surrounding such work eliminating need for a fire guard until the next day’s operations.

A fireguard on one operating area shall satisfy the requirements on adjacent areas if the travel time with available transportation is not in excess of ten (10) minutes to any of the other areas requiring such service and provided the fireguard patrols all areas where authorized user’s activities occurred.

Each fireguard shall be vigilant, able and prepared to take actions to prevent, detect, and report any wildland fires and to promptly and efficiently take suppression action with available required firefighting equipment and personnel on any wildland fire that starts on the contract area. Each fireguard shall be equipped with a vehicle and its required fire tools/equipment maintained in serviceable condition.

FIRE PRECAUTION LEVELS HIGHER THAN THE ‘NO RESTRICTIONS’ LEVEL

ADDITIONAL FIRE TOOL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTOR’S EQUIPMENT DURING STAGE I, STAGE II, RED FLAG WARNINGS and DURING FOREST CLOSURE ORDERS FOR FIRE PROTECTION (Partial or Complete Closures)

Same as during ‘No Restrictions’ level with the additional requirement that shovels and fire extinguishers shall be so mounted or placed in or on the vehicle as to be visually obvious and readily reached from the ground. For pickup trucks without utility bodies placement of fire tools ready and always visible within the bed is sufficient.

Additionally, all dozer and motor grader work road maintenance and road construction work shall be ‘short coupled’ so that the maximum length of the road segment being worked—and the associated temporary traffic control signage—is no greater than ½ mile until such time as that segment is complete. The interval of time to move temporary traffic control naturally affords observation time of the just completed road segment sufficient for Stage II and Stage III Fire Restrictions. During Forest Closures of any type the contractor shall work with the COR and CO to arrive at a mutually acceptable and equitable course of action.

FIRE GUARDS

The contractor shall provide a fireguard at each work location where internal combustion-driven equipment and internal combustion-driven tools have been operated during the day and for three (3) hours after such operation stops for the day, or by other written authorization issued by the COR. Example alternatives include thorough water spray of area surrounding operations reducing fire guard time to one (1) hour.

Welding, grinding or blasting operations may occur from 8:00 pm until 9:00 am Mountain Standard Time during a Stage II Fire Precaution Level (but not at higher Levels) provided the fire guard shall constantly perform their duties during the operations and for three (3) hours after such work ends, or by other written authorization issued by the COR. Example alternatives include thorough water spray of area surrounding operations reducing subsequent post-operation fire guard time to at least one (1) hour.

A fireguard on one operating area shall satisfy the requirements on adjacent areas if the travel time with available transportation is not in excess of ten (10) minutes to any of the other areas requiring such service and provided the fireguard patrols all areas where authorized user’s activities occurred.

Additional fire guard requirements at these Fire Precaution Levels include that the fireguard shall also carry at least two (2) 25lb ABC dry chemical fire extinguishers in working condition and 10 gallons of water for firefighting purposes.