These conditions include significant increases in winds, shifts in wind direction, thunderstorm activity with little or no rain, high temperatures, and significant decreases in humidity. Included are logs, stumps, chunks of logs, bark, branches and broken understory trees. They are delivered to the fire via specially configured aircraft, and use parachutes designed for mountainous terrain which are capable of maneuvering in the winds accompanying wildfire conditions. A typical intial attack load of jumpers consists of eight jumpers and 500 lbs. of tools, saws, food and drinking water. A standing dead tree or part of a dead tree from which at least the leaves and smaller branches have fallen.
Unstable snags can pose serious safety hazards.