a device used to ignite a prescribed fire —note in addition to the tools listed below, ignition tools include fusees (flares), primacord, and jelly gasoline; kinds of ignition tool include the following:

—aerial ignition device (AID) an incendiary apparatus designed to ignite wildland fuels from an aircraft —see aerial torch

—drip torch a hand-held apparatus for igniting prescribed fires, backfires, or burnout areas by dripping flaming liquid fuel at an adjustable rate on the materials to be burned —note a drip torch consists of a fuel fount, burner arm, and igniter; fuel used is generally a mixture of 65 to 80 percent diesel and 20 to 35 percent gasoline —see flame thrower, helitorch

—helitorch an aerial ignition device slung from or mounted on a helicopter that dispenses ignited globs of gelled gasoline —synonym flying drip torch, aerial torch —note helitorch is an ICS term

—ping-pong ball system a mechanized method of dispensing delayed aerial ignition devices (DAIDs) at a selected rate —note 1. the DAIDs are 1.25-in (3.2-cm) diameter polystyrene balls containing potassium permanganate; the balls are fed into a dispenser, generally mounted in a helicopter, where they are injected with a water-glycol solution and then dropped through a chute leading out of the helicopter; the chemicals react thermally and ignite in 25 to 30 sec —note 2. the space between ignition points on the ground is primarily a function of helicopter speed, the gear ratio of the dispenser, and the number of chutes used (up to four) This definition last updated 10/28/2008