Wildfire Knowledge Graph · Operations
A control line constructed primarily using a bulldozer or similar tracked equipment.
In plain language
A control line constructed primarily using a bulldozer or similar tracked equipment.
Why it matters
Dozer Line is useful because it separates one specific part of wildfire behaviour, exposure, operations or evidence from nearby concepts that can otherwise be mixed together.
What is a dozer line in a wildfire?
A dozer line is a fireline built with the front blade of a bulldozer. The name describes the construction method. NWCG defines fireline as the part of a containment or control line scraped or dug to mineral soil; its dozer-line entry specifies construction with the dozer’s front blade.
How does it differ from a handline? A handline is built with hand tools, whereas a dozer line uses a dozer blade. Both are types of fireline. A control line is the broader term for a barrier used to control the fire and may include other features besides a mineral-soil fireline. These terms describe construction and function; the word “dozer” alone does not tell you whether a line will hold under changing fire conditions.
See the dozer line vs handline vs fireline comparison for a side-by-side explanation of the three terms, access considerations and links to the official definitions.