RISK AND COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT APPENDIX E
Appendix E
Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment
The Wildland Fire Risk and Complexity Assessment should be used to evaluate
firefighter safety issues, assess risk, and identify the appropriate incident management
organization. Determining incident complexity is a subjective process based on
examining a combination of indicators or factors. An incident’s complexity can change
over time; incident managers should periodically re-evaluate incident complexity to
ensure that the incident is managed properly with the right resources.
Instructions:
Incident Commanders should complete Part A and Part B and relay this information to
the Agency Administrator. If the fire exceeds initial attack or will be managed to
accomplish resource management objectives, Incident Commanders should also complete
Part C and provide the information to the Agency Administrator.
Part A: Firefighter Safety Assessment
Evaluate the following items, mitigate as necessary, and note any concerns,
mitigations, or other information.
Evaluate these items
Concerns, mitigations, notes
LCES
Fire Orders and Watch Out Situations
Multiple operational periods have occurred
without achieving initial objectives.
Incident personnel are overextended
mentally and/or physically and are affected
by cumulative fatigue.
Communication is ineffective with tactical
resources and/or dispatch.
Operations are at the limit of span of
control.
Aviation operations are complex and/or
aviation oversight is lacking.
Logistical support for the incident is
inadequate or difficult.
Release Date: January 2020 APPENDIX E-1
APPENDIX E RISK AND COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT
Part B: Relative Risk Assessment
Values
Notes/Mitigation
B1. Infrastructure/Natural/Cultural Concerns
Based on the number and kinds of values to be
protected, and the difficulty to protect them,
rank this element low, moderate, or high.
Considerations: key resources potentially affected
by the fire such as urban interface, structures,
critical municipal watershed, commercial timber,
developments, recreational facilities,
power/pipelines, communication sites, highways,
potential for evacuation, unique natural resources,
designated areas (i.e. wilderness), T&E species
habitat, and cultural sites.
L M H
B2. Proximity and Threat of Fire to Values
Evaluate the potential threat to values based on
their proximity to the fire, and rank this
element low, moderate, or high.
L
Far
M H
Near
B3.Social/Economic Concerns
Evaluate the potential impacts of the fire to
social and/or economic concerns, and rank this
element low, moderate, or high.
Considerations: impacts to social or economic
concerns of an individual, business, community or
other stakeholder; degree of support for the
wildland fire program and resulting fire effects;
other fire management jurisdictions; tribal
subsistence or gathering of natural resources; air
quality regulatory requirements; public tolerance
of smoke, including health impacts; potential for
evacuation and ingress/egress routes; and
restrictions and/or closures in effect or being
considered.
L M H
Hazards
Notes/Mitigation
B4. Fuel Conditions
Consider fuel conditions ahead of the fire and
rank this element low, moderate, or high.
Evaluate fuel conditions that exhibit high ROS
and intensity for your area, such as those caused
by invasive species or insect/disease outbreaks;
and/or continuity of fuels.
L M H
B5. Fire Behavior
Evaluate the current and expected fire
behavior and rank this element low, moderate,
or high.
Considerations: intensity; rates of spread;
crowning; profuse or long-range spotting.
L M H
B6. Potential Fire Growth
Evaluate the potential fire growth, and rank
this element low, moderate, or high.
Considerations: Considerations would include
current and expected fire growth based on fire
behavior analysis and the weather forecast and/or
the ability to control the fire.
L M H
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RISK AND COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT APPENDIX E
Probability
Notes/Mitigation
B7. Time of Season
Evaluate the potential for a long-duration
fire and rank this element low, moderate,
or high.
Considerations: time remaining until a season
ending event.
L
Late
M
Mid
H
Early
B8. Barriers to Fire Spread
Evaluate the barriers to fire spread and
their potential to limit fire growth, and
rank this element low, moderate, or high.
Considerations: If many natural and/or
human-made barriers are present, rank this
element low. If some barriers are present,
rank this element moderate. If no barriers are
present, rank this element high.
L
Many
M H
Few
B9. Seasonal Severity
Evaluate fire danger indices and rank this
element low/moderate, high, or very
high/extreme.
Considerations: Fire danger indices such as
energy release component (ERC); drought
status; live and dead fuel moistures; fire
danger indices; adjective fire danger rating;
geographic area preparedness level.
L/M
H
VH/
E
Enter the number of items circled for each
column.
Relative Risk Rating (circle one):
Low
Majority of items areLow”, with a few items rated asModerate” and/or “High.
Moderate
Majority of items areModerate”, with a few items rated asLow” and/orHigh.
High
Majority of items areHigh”; A few items may be rated as”Low” orModerate.
Release Date: January 2020
A
PPENDIX E-3
APPENDIX E RISK AND COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT
Part C: Organization
Relative Risk Rating (from Part B)
Circle the Relative Risk Rating (from Part B)
L
M
Implementation Difficulty
Notes/Mitigation
C1. Potential Fire Duration
Evaluate the estimated length of time
that the fire may continue to burn if no
action is taken and amount of season
remaining. Rank this element low,
moderate, or high. Note: This will vary by
geographic area.
N/A
Very
Short
L
Short
M H
Long
C2. Incident Strategies (Course of Action)
Evaluate the level of risk to firefight
ers
and aviators required to successfully
meet the current strategy and implement
the course of action. Rank this element
as very low, low, moderate, or high.
Consider the likelihood that those resources
will be effective; exposure of firefighters;
reliance on aircraft to accomplish objectives;
and whether there are clearly defined
trigger points.
Very
Low
L M H
C3. Functional Concerns
Evaluate the need to increase
organizational structure to adequately
and safely manage the incident, and
rank this element very low (minimal
resources committed), low (adequate),
moderate (some additional support
needed), or high (current capability
inadequate).
Considerations: Incident management
functions (logistics, finance, operations,
information, planning, safety, and/or
specialized personnel/equipment) are
inadequate and needed; availability of
resources; access to EMS support; heavy
commitment of local resources to logistical
support; ability of local businesses to
sustain logistical support; substantial air
operation which is not properly staffed;
worked multiple operational periods
without achieving initial objectives;
incident personnel overextended mentally
and/or physically; Incident Action Plans,
briefings, etc. missing or incomplete;
performance of firefighting resources
affected by cumulative fatigue; and
ineffective communications.
Very
Low
L M H
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RISK AND COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT APPENDIX E
Socio/Political Concerns
Notes/Mitigation
C4. Objective Concerns
Evaluate the complexity of the incident
objectives and rank this element very
low, low, moderate, or high.
Considerations: clarity; ability of current
organization to accomplish; disagreement
among cooperators; tactical/operational
restrictions; complex objectives involving
multiple focuses; objectives influenced by
serious accidents or fatalities.
Very
Low
L M H
C5. External Influences
Evaluate the effect external influences
will have on how the fire is managed and
rank this element very low, low,
moderate, or high.
Considerations: limited local resources
available for initial attack; increasing
media involvement, social/print/television
media interest; controversial fire policy;
threat to safety of visitors from fire and
related operations; restrictions and/or
closures in effect or being considered;
pre-existing controversies/ relationships;
smoke management problems; sensitive
political concerns/interests.
Very
Low
L M H
C6. Ownership Concerns
Evaluate the effect ownership/
jurisdiction will have on how the fire is
managed and rank this element very
low, low, moderate, or high.
Considerations: disagreements over policy,
responsibility, and/or management
response; fire burning or threatening more
than one jurisdiction; potential for unified
command; different or conflicting
management objectives; potential for
claims (damages); disputes over
suppression responsibility.
Very
Low
L M H
Enter the number of items circled for
each column.
Release Date: January 2020 A
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APPENDIX E RISK AND COMPLEXITY ASSESSMENT
Part C: Organization (continued)
Recommended Organization (circle one):
Type 5 Majority of items rated as “Very Low”; a few items may be rated in other
categories.
Type 4 Majority of items rated as “Low”, with some items rated as “Very Low”, and a
few items rated as “Moderate” or “High”.
Type 3 Majority of items rated as “Moderate”, with a few items rated in other
categories.
Type 2 Majority of items rated as “Moderate”, with a few items rated as “High”.
Type 1 Majority of items rated as “High”; a few items may be rated in other categories.
Rationale:
Use this section to document the incident management organization for the fire. If the
incident management organization is different than the Wildland Fire Risk and
Complexity Assessment recommends, document why an alternative organization was
selected. Use the “Notes/Mitigation” column to address mitigation actions for a specific
element, and include these mitigations in the rationale.
Name of Incident: Unit(s):
Date/Time: Signature of Preparer:
APPENDIX E-6 Release Date: January 2020
The RCA is also available at https://www.nwcg.gov/publications/210.
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