The forest fire management definitions below are taken from the Northwest Territories Forest Fire Management Policy and the 2003 Glossary of Forest Fire Control Terms available from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

Control a Fire - To complete a control line around a fire, any spot fires therefrom, and any interior island(s) to be saved; burning out any unburned areas adjacent to the fire side of the control lines; burning off any unwanted island(s) inside the control lines; and cooling down all hot spots that are immediate threats to the control line until the lines can be expected to hold under foreseeable conditions. Stages of control are:

• Out of Control - Describes a wildfire not responding or only responding on a limited basis to suppression action such that perimeter spread is not being contained. Synonym - Not under Control.
  
  
• Being Held - Indicates that with currently committed resources, sufficient suppression action has been taken that the fire is not likely to spread beyond existent or predetermined boundaries under prevailing and forecasted conditions.
  
  
• Being Observed - Currently not receiving suppression action, due to agency policy and management guidelines.
  
  
• Under Control - Having received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread of the fire.
  
  
• Being Patrolled - In a state of mop-up, being walked over and checked.
  
  
• Out - Having being extinguished.
  
  
  

Creeping - A fire that is spreading slowly over the ground, generally with low flame.

Crowning - A fire ascending into the crowns of trees and spreading from crown to crown. Such a fire is known as a Crown Fire.

Spotting - A fire producing firebrands carried by the surface wind, a fire whirl, and/or convection column that fall beyond the main fire perimeter and result in spot fires.

Fire Behaviour - the manner in which fuel ignites, flame develops and fire spreads and exhibits other related phenomena as determined by the interaction of fuels, weather and topography.

Fire Detection - activities designed to detect forest fires as early as possible after ignition. Fire detection activities occur at the public and departmental level, and include: fixed and airborne detection; remote sensing; and
communications.

Fire Environment - the surrounding conditions, influences, and modifying forces of topography, fuel, and fire weather that determine fire behaviour.

Fire Hazard - a general term to describe the potential fire behaviour, without regard to the state of weather-influenced fuel moisture content, and/or resistance to fireguard construction, for a given fuel type. Such an assessment is based on physical fuel characteristics.

Fire Line -
(a) that portion of the fire upon which resources are deployed and are actively engaged in suppression action. In a general sense the working area around a fire;
(b) any cleared strip used to control a fire.

Fire Line Organization - the organization of resources that are deployed and are actively engaged in suppression action.

Fire Monitoring - Monitoring is defined as a system of maintaining regular surveillance over ongoing forest fires.

Forest Fire Management - the activities concerned with the protection of people,property and forest areas from wildfire and the use of prescribed burning for the attainment of forest management and other land use objectives, all conducted in a manner that considers environmental, social and economic criteria.

Fire Presuppression - activities designed to ensure an organized, equipped fire control force is in place to take effective fire suppression action. Fire presuppression activities include: specialized training; preparation of a fire line organization plan; fire weather forecasting; equipment and supplies are dedicated; radio communications; and, utilization of remote sensing for monitoring.

Fire Prevention - activities designed to prevent the occurrence of fires caused by people. Fire prevention activities include: public and school education; media campaigns; preparation of community forest fire management and protection plans; and, the reduction of fire hazards and risks.

Fire Risk - the probability or chance of fire starting determined by the presence and activities of causative agents (i.e., potential number of ignition agents).

Fire Suppression - all activities concerned with controlling and extinguishing a fire following its detection. A response to any fire may include initial attack, sustained attack, limited action, delayed action, or observation and monitoring.

First Attack Period - the first 24 hour period following detection of a forest fire.

Forest Area - any uncultivated land that, by reason of the existence of trees, grass or other vegetation thereon, possesses timber, forage, recreational, wildlife or other value.

Forest Fire - any wildfire or prescribed fire that is burning in forested areas, grass or alpine/tundra vegetation.

Initial Attack - the action taken to halt the spread or potential spread of a fire by the first fire-fighting force to arrive at the fire. An Initial Attack Crew is a crew specially hired, trained, equipped and deployed to conduct initial attack on wildfires.

Prescribed Burning - controlled application of fire to a specific land area to accomplish predetermined forest management or other land use objectives.

Prescribed Fire - any fire deliberately utilized for prescribed burning; usually set by qualified fire management personnel according to a predetermined burning prescription. Note, in some cases a wild fire that may produce beneficial results in terms of the attainment of forest management and other land use objectives may be allowed to burn under certain burning conditions according to a defined burning prescription, with limited or no suppression action, and as such, may be considered a form of prescribed fire.

Property - land or real estate. Includes both private and public land or real
property.

Relative Value - the estimated economic value of a specific or collective set of natural resources and improvements/developments that may be destroyed or otherwise altered by forest fire in any given forest area relative to the cumulative cost of continuing fire suppression efforts after the first attack period. The relative value in immediately adjacent threatened areas may also be considered in forest fire response decision making.

Running - A fire that is rapidly spreading and with a well-defined head.

Sustained Attack - all the action taken to halt the spread or potential spread of a fire following initial attack.

Torching - A single tree or a small clump of trees is said to "torch" when its foliage ignites and flares up, usually from bottom to top. Synonym: Candle or Candling.

Values-at-risk - human life and the specific or collective set of natural or
cultural resources and improvements/developments that have measurable or intrinsic worth and that could or may be destroyed or otherwise altered by fire in any given area.