In going through some papers today I rediscovered “Murphy’s Fire Behavior Rules” that govern wildfire suppression. I have no idea who created them. It’s possible that Rick Gale handed them out during a session in S-520, Advanced Incident Management, but I don’t think he was the author.

Murphy’s Fire Behavior Rules

1. Winds will remain constant until your backfire is lit.
2. Upon reaching the far side of the fire, all batteries cease to function.
3. The last hard freeze of winter occurs the day after you fill the pumper.
4. Rain occurs only after a fire is finally controlled.
5. The arrival time for backup coincides precisely with fire containment.
6. A 3:1 gas/diesel mixture burns hotter than 3:1 diesel/gas. So does the person carrying the drip torch.
7. You are always one lunch short.
8. Leakproof bladder bags will. Self-priming pumps won’t.
9. Burning out the wrong side of the line will prolong the time of containment.
10. Critiques are sometimes painful.