Learn which fire hazards to identify during pre-incident planning to improve firefighter safety, reduce risk, and support faster, smarter response on-scene.
Published:January 6, 2026
Edited:January 22, 2026
Learn which fire hazards to identify during pre-incident planning to improve firefighter safety, reduce risk, and support faster, smarter response on-scene.
Identifying fire hazards is an essential component in pre-incident planning, resulting in improved emergency response and safety for fire personnel. This article discusses the benefits of early fire hazard identification and common types of hazards, as well as helpful tools and best practices for sharing and maintaining hazard awareness.
Hazard identification is part of the pre-planning process. Identifying possible hazards can help to improve outcomes by better preparing fire departments that may need to respond to potential emergencies.1 Being aware of hazards and being able to anticipate how to deal with them during an emergency response can improve firefighter safety, efficiency, and success.
A variety of fire hazards can exist within a structure and the surrounding environment. A comprehensive pre-incident survey will document any fire hazards identified within the structure, operations, utilities, or WUI spaces.
Structural fire hazards can include combustible materials within the building itself, improperly or poorly installed lighting equipment, damaged or overloaded electrical equipment, flammable gasses or liquids, and appliances.2
Operational fire hazards pertain to any hazards specific to the operations taking place within a structure. This could involve actions that produce heat or flame such as welding, soldering, or cooking; appliances used for specific work functions such as ovens or grills; and loose papers or other materials around the building.2
Utility hazards include anything related to utility connections or equipment, such as access points for gas, electrical, and water service. For example, multiple gas lines and low-hanging external power lines could present fire hazards for responding crews. Limited or inaccessible water connections should also be noted as potential hazards so that alternate sources of water can be identified.3
Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and a lack of defensible space can present fire hazards outside of a physical structure, and should also be included in pre-incident planning.
A pre-incident survey should note a building’s proximity to or within WUI. If possible, a map of the local WUI area is helpful to include, as well as details such as fire history in the area, forecasted potential for wildfire, and surrounding fuel loads.4
Defensible space around any structures should be noted, as a lack of defensible space such as close growing bushes or trees, significant accumulation of organic debris, closely located fuel tanks, or a lack of horizontal and vertical spacing can create additional external fire hazards.5
Digital tools and checklists can be helpful for completing a fire hazard assessment and determining what hazards are present. Fire department pre-planning software can assist personnel in identifying and documenting fire hazards during pre-incident planning.
Software programs may provide helpful tools such as comprehensive mapping and visual symbols for identifying hazards, as well as allowing prioritization of hazards based on probability and severity.6
There are several ways that fire departments can maintain hazard awareness. Updating pre-incident plans, integrating hazard information with other data systems, representing and sharing hazard data with outside agencies are some of the best ways to ensure that everyone has the necessary details for responding in the event of an emergency, and that information is kept up-to-date.
Pre-incident plans should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Plans that do not keep up with changes can quickly become outdated.6 Changes in structures, equipment, floor plans, occupancy, operations, or fire codes can affect current hazards or present new hazards. Scheduling periodic reviews into a calendar will help fire departments keep plans up-to-date.7
Integrating hazard data within existing fire department software can provide a significant advantage in emergency response by improving efficiency and effectiveness. Pre-planning software programs may also allow for the integration of automated sensor data from buildings which can provide information on fire, smoke, temperature, and carbon monoxide in real-time.6
It is important to communicate hazard information not only to the public but to first responders clearly and quickly. Symbols for hazards should be consistent and be distinct from other symbols in a diagram.
There are several examples including;
Through pre-planning software, fire hazard data can be shared between multiple agencies. Utilizing features that allow for collaboration can give local agencies the ability to review, contribute, modify, and update data as needed in one central system. Sharing pre-plan data across organizations can lower risks and increase safety for all involved.6
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