How fast is a moderate rate of spread?

How fast is a moderate rate of spread?

• A. Up to 1 mph
• B. 2-4 mph
• C. 5-6 mph
• D. Up to 3 mph

Answer: (A)

Understanding how fast a fire is moving helps you gauge what tactics are feasible. In this material, a moderate rate of spread is defined as up to one mile per hour. That pace is slow enough to observe, assess conditions, and apply suppression actions, but not so slow that you’re not in a real-time firefight. Speeds like 2–4 mph or 5–6 mph indicate a faster spread and are beyond the moderate category, while up to 3 mph also exceeds the defined moderate threshold here. So the best choice is up to 1 mph.

Understanding how fast a fire is moving helps you gauge what tactics are feasible. In this material, a moderate rate of spread is defined as up to one mile per hour. That pace is slow enough to observe, assess conditions, and apply suppression actions, but not so slow that you’re not in a real-time firefight. Speeds like 2–4 mph or 5–6 mph indicate a faster spread and are beyond the moderate category, while up to 3 mph also exceeds the defined moderate threshold here. So the best choice is up to 1 mph.