Which fire behavior description correctly identifies a heading fire?

• A. Heading fire moves with the wind and spreads rapidly
• B. Backing fire moves with the wind and spreads rapidly
• C. Smoldering fire is the fastest
• D. Fire under inversion stops completely

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how a wildfire front moves in relation to the wind. The heading fire is the part of the fire that advances in the same direction the wind is blowing, and it typically has the fastest rate of spread because the wind pushes flame, heat, and embers into unburned fuel. So describing it as moving with the wind and spreading rapidly matches what actually happens at the leading edge of a fire front.

Context helps: the fire front is often talked about in terms of its relation to wind, with the head (heading) moving fastest downwind, the backing fire moving slowly against the wind, and the sides (flanks) moving roughly perpendicular to the wind. The other options misstate those relationships—backing fire doesn’t move with the wind and isn’t rapid; smoldering fire is slow and non-flaming; inversions can slow spread but don’t make a fire stop completely.