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S-290, Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior Training Course

Ventura Training Center, 2800 Wright Road, Camarillo, CA.

August 5th-8th, 8:30am-5:00pm 

S-290 is a classroom-based 32-hour skills course designed to meet training requirements to work in the operation section of the Incident Command System.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COURSE FLYER

Registration has closed for this training. Please contact surefiretraining@yahoo.com for more information on this course. 

Preference was given to Tribal peoples, PBA members and contacts, folks pursuing the CARX Burn Boss certification, locals, and students. Please note that there is a $75.00 State Fire Training Certification fee for this course that will be paid to the instructor upon completion of the training.

Prerequisites: S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior  

This in person classroom-based course is designed to prepare the prospective fireline supervisor to undertake safe and effective fire management operations. It is the second course in a series that collectively serves to develop fire behavior prediction knowledge and skills. It builds upon the basics in S-190, but with more detailed information about characteristics and interactions of the wildland fire environment (fuels, weather and topography) that affect wildland fire behavior for safety purposes.  This course is required of those planning to work as one of the Single Resource Bosses or a Fire Effects Monitor on wildfires, fire use fires, and prescribed fires. This class is enhanced with several practical exercises and case study reviews

S-290 Intermediate Fire Behavior Training Objectives:

  • Identify and describe the characteristics of fuels, weather, and topography that influence wildland fire behavior.  

  • Describe the interaction of fuels, weather, and topography on wildland fire behavior, Fireline tactics, and safety.  

  • Describe the causes of extreme fire behavior conditions (long range spotting, crowning, and fire whirls) that develop due to weather, fuels, and/or topography.  

  • Interpret, communicate, apply, and document wildland fire behavior and weather information. 

Agenda

Time Details
Monday, 8/5 

Introductions/Leaders Intent/ Course Introduction

The Fire Environment

Fuels

Basic Weather Processes

Temperature and Humidity Relationships

Tuesday, 8/6

Atmospheric Stability

Wind Systems

Wednesday, 8/7 

Keeping Current with the Weather

Fuel Moisture

Extreme Wildland Fire Behavior

Thursday, 8/8

Gauging Fire Behavior and Guiding Fireline Decisions

Review Case Studies

Final Exam

Trainers

Woody Bouska, President, SURE-FIRE Training Inc

The lead instructor, Woody Bouska, is the president of SURE-FIRE Training Inc., a corporation that specializes in delivering high quality professional wildfire consulting, analysis, planning, mitigation and education services. Woody has over 40 years of experience in the wildland fire service and is a wildfire risk analysis and mitigation specialist. Woody has extensive experience working with various agencies and organizations planning, and conducting, prescribed burns and wildland fuels management projects. Woody is also a registered California State Fire Training Instructor who provides a variety of consulting and training services for fire departments, land management agencies and other government and corporate organizations throughout the world. He received his formal education from UC Davis in Wildlife Biology.

David Gomberg, Senior Forecaster and Fire Program Manager, National Weather Service Oxnard-NOAA

David Gomberg is the Senior Forecaster and Fire Weather Program Manager at National Weather Service Oxnard. David brings over 30 years of experience as a meteorologist and 20 years of experience as the Fire Weather Program Manager. David holds a Masters Degree in Atmospheric Sciences from UCLA and currently resides in Ventura County.

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