burp v.— «The firefighters have a technique called “burping the suit” that involves pulling open the neck of the Mustang, then crouching down to force excess air out of the suit. The technique prevents the suit from ballooning...
blacking out n.— «We haven’t been attacking the fire from the front, but controlling it from the flanks to stop it spreading.…The process was called “blacking out” which involved mopping up where the fire had burned already, dousing...
bump up v. phr.— «He lauded the five killed in the Esperanza Fire as among the most trusted and urged their loved ones to “bump up,” a common firefighting term meaning “move forward.”» —“Firefighters pay...
fire out v. phr.— «More than 2,000 firefighters attacked the Esperanza fire on several fronts Friday, using bulldozers and hand crews to build containment lines. Planes dropped water and fire retardant and set back fires to burn the fuel...
rehab v.— «Topsfield Fire Chief Ronald Giovannacci said firefighting in the summer requires added safeguards. Regardless of temperature, firefighters go through a process known as “rehab.” After a certain amount of time...
Habitrail house n.— «Carl Kietzke of Seattle, the president of the International Fire Buffs Associates, said that up and down the West Coast he had heard the phrase “Habitrail house,” referring to buildings there that...