If your brigade fights wildland fires — whether you’re a CAL FIRE Type 6 engine company, a U.S. Forest Service hand crew, a state DNR engine, or a rural department with grass-fire response duties — you order hose to USFS Specification 5100-187c. This is the federal procurement standard for “lightweight synthetic, lined, woven jacket” fire hose used in wildland fire operations. Within 5100-187c, hose is classified as Type 1 (uncoated) or Type 2 (coated), with Type 3 being an industry-practice extension for heavier-duty applications.

Understanding the distinctions between Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 forestry hose is the difference between specifying the right product for your operating environment and ending up with a season’s worth of hose that’s either inadequate (Type 1 in heavy terrain) or unnecessarily expensive (Type 3 for mop-up work). This guide walks through the technical differences, when each is the right choice, and what to specify when ordering.

What Is USFS Specification 5100-187c?

USFS Specification 5100-187c is the procurement standard issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service for “Fire Hose, Lightweight Synthetic, Lined, Woven Jacket”. It defines the construction requirements, performance criteria, and acceptance testing for the hose used by USFS, Department of the Interior, BLM, the National Park Service, and many state and local wildland fire agencies.

The current version is revision “c” (5100-187c), superseding earlier 5100-187, 5100-187a and 5100-187b editions. The standard establishes:

• All-synthetic, lightweight, single-jacket construction. No natural fibers permitted. The jacket is woven polyester, the lining is elastomeric (typically TPU — thermoplastic polyurethane).
• Service pressure 300 psi. Test pressure 600 psi. Burst pressure 900 psi minimum.
• Operating temperature range −40°F to +180°F. Most TPU-lined hose meets this range without modification; some specialized variants extend down to −60°F for arctic and high-altitude winter operations.
• Maintenance-free design. No drying required after use. Mildew-resistant synthetic materials. Pack wet without service-life impact.
• 5-year typical service life. Most 5100-187c hose carries a 5-year warranty when stored and maintained per the manufacturer’s requirements.

5100-187c applies to wildland forestry hose specifically — it is not the standard for brigade structural attack hose (which is governed by NFPA 1961 — see our Standards & Certifications guide). The two specifications exist because wildland fire fighting has fundamentally different requirements than structural fire fighting.

Why Wildland Hose Is Different from Structural Hose

Structural attack hose is engineered for short-distance high-pressure use on a fire-engine apparatus. Wildland hose has to do something completely different: get carried by hand-crew firefighters over rough terrain, run up steep slopes, deployed in progressive lays of 1,000+ feet, packed wet into rolls or saddlebags, and survive contact with ash, dirt, rocks, sticks and live fire.

These different requirements drive different engineering priorities:

The standard sizes — ¾”, 1″ and 1½” — exist because that’s what a wildland firefighter can practically carry. A 1″ line packs into a single shoulder roll. A 100-foot 1½” section weighs about 12 lb dry — light enough to deploy by hand on steep terrain. The 2½” structural attack size simply isn’t practical for hand-crew operations.

Type 1 Forestry Hose — Uncoated, Lightest, White

Type 1 per 5100-187c is the uncoated variant. The polyester jacket is woven and bonded to the TPU lining, but the exterior is not finished with any abrasion-resistance or impregnation coating. The hose appears as a white or off-white woven jacket with no surface treatment.

Type 1 strengths:

• Lowest weight in the 5100-187c family. No coating means less polymer mass per foot. Critical for hand-crew long-distance carries.
• Lowest friction loss. The uncoated jacket flows water more efficiently. Important for long progressive hose lays where every psi of friction loss matters.
• Best packing. The flexible uncoated jacket packs into the flattest, smallest rolls. Saddlebag and backpack carries are easier.
• Lowest cost. Less material, simpler process — Type 1 is the most affordable 5100-187c-compliant hose.

Type 1 weaknesses:

• Lower abrasion resistance. The uncoated jacket wears faster when dragged across rocks, gravel, or burned ground. Shorter service life in heavy-terrain operations.
• Lower puncture resistance. Less protection against pointed sticks, sharp rock edges, and debris.
• Picks up more dirt. Uncoated jacket absorbs water, soot and ash — harder to clean for storage. Doesn’t affect performance, but affects appearance and visual inspection.

Best for: hand-crew long-distance progressive lays, helitack initial-attack deployment, mop-up operations, structure protection in WUI (wildland-urban interface) zones where the hose lays on lawns and driveways rather than rough terrain.

Type 2 Forestry Hose — Coated, Most Common, Yellow

Type 2 per 5100-187c adds a polyurethane-based polymer impregnation/coating to the exterior of the jacket. The coating dramatically improves abrasion resistance, puncture resistance, and dirt repellency at modest weight and friction-loss cost. Type 2 is the most common forestry hose specified for U.S. wildland fire operations.

The signature color of Type 2 forestry hose is bright yellow or yellow-green. The color is from pigment added to the jacket polymer impregnation — it serves both safety (visibility for ground crews and aerial observers) and identification (distinguishes wildland hose from structural attack hose at a glance during shared-operations responses).

Type 2 strengths:

• Excellent abrasion resistance. The polymer coating shields the jacket from rocks, gravel and burned ground. 2-3× the service life of Type 1 in heavy-terrain operations.
• Puncture resistance. Resists sticks, sharp debris, and equipment hooks. Critical for engines that drag hose across cleared fire-line.
• Mildew-resistant, easy to clean. The coating sheds water and dirt — hose stays cleaner during operations and dries faster in storage.
• High visibility yellow. Easy to see in smoke, ash and at distance. Useful for aerial observers tracking ground-crew progress.
• Heat resistance. The polyurethane coating handles direct exposure to embers and brief radiant heat events that would damage uncoated Type 1.

Type 2 trade-offs:

• Slightly heavier than Type 1 — about 15-20% more weight per foot due to the polymer coating.
• Slightly higher friction loss than Type 1 in long progressive lays. Negligible for most operations.
• Higher cost than Type 1 — typically 20-40% premium per foot.

Best for: Type 6 wildland engine preconnects, Type 3 engine attack lines, CAL FIRE engine company use, structure-defense WUI operations, anywhere the hose will see significant abrasion contact. The default choice for most wildland fire-suppression operations.

Type 3 Forestry Hose — Heavy-Duty Industry Extension

USFS 5100-187c formally defines only Type 1 and Type 2. “Type 3” is an industry-practice term used to describe heavy-duty forestry hose that exceeds the 5100-187c minimum requirements — typically through:

• Heavier-gauge jacket construction — more polyester yarn per inch, sometimes with ring-spun yarn for additional abrasion resistance.
• Premium coating systems — multi-layer polymer impregnation that survives extreme conditions, including direct flame impingement for limited durations.
• EPDM rubber lining instead of TPU — for applications where the lining will encounter sustained heat or chemical contact that exceeds TPU’s service limits.
• Higher service pressure ratings — 400-600 psi service pressure for engines operating at higher pump pressures or for extended-length progressive lays.

Type 3 use cases: heavy interface fire operations (where structural attack overlaps with wildland), refinery wildland support, military fire-protection ranges, long-duration prescribed-burn operations, and any environment where Type 2’s service life would be inadequate. Type 3 typically commands a 50-100% price premium over Type 2.

Type 1 vs Type 2 vs Type 3 — Decision Summary

For the complete CA-FIRE Forestry & Wildland Fire Hose product range — all three types in 1″ and 1½” sizes — see our product page.

Forestry Hose Sizes — ¾”, 1″, and 1½”

5100-187c forestry hose is supplied in three sizes, each matched to specific operational roles:

¾” (20 mm) Forestry Hose — Live-Reel Booster Line

The smallest size used in modern wildland operations. Found on engine live-reel booster lines for grass and trash fires, mop-up operations, and final-knock-down work where high flow isn’t needed. NPSH threads. Typical flow ~30-40 GPM at 100 psi nozzle pressure.

1″ (25 mm) Forestry Hose — Hand-Crew Standard

The dominant hand-crew size. Light enough to backpack-carry in 100 ft sections. Flows 30-60 GPM — adequate for most wildland fire suppression where flow is less important than hose-line reach. Uses NPSH (National Pipe Straight Hose) threads, not the NH/NST threads used on larger sizes. Progressive hose lays of 500-1,000+ ft are practical with 1″ hose.

1½” (38 mm) Forestry Hose — Engine Preconnect Standard

Wildland engine company standard preconnect size. Flows 95-125 GPM — significantly more water than 1″ but still light enough for two-firefighter handling. Uses NH/NST threads compatible with structural fire-service equipment, so wildland and structural engines can share supply lines if needed. Standard preconnect length on Type 6 brush engines is 150-200 ft.

Percolating Forestry Hose — A Special Variant

Percolating hose (sometimes called “weeping hose” or “Hydro-Wick hose”) is a specialized forestry hose variant designed for use in active fire environments. The hose lining and jacket allow controlled water seepage through the jacket — typically 1-2% of total flow rate — which dampens the jacket exterior, cooling it and protecting it from direct flame contact.

Percolating hose is used by hand crews running line directly through active fire zones, or by engines defending structures with hose laid across burning ground. The water-cooling effect can extend the hose’s direct-flame survival time from seconds to minutes — long enough to complete a hose lay through a fire perimeter.

Percolating hose is available in Type 2 construction with the special perforated jacket. The trade-off: it’s heavier, more expensive, and the water seepage means slightly lower nozzle pressure for a given pump output. Most wildland fire operations don’t require percolating hose — but for crews running line directly through active burn zones, the protection it provides is essential.

What to Specify When Ordering Forestry Hose

A complete purchase order for forestry hose includes seven specifications:

1. Type: Type 1 (uncoated) for hand-crew/light use, Type 2 (coated) for default engine and most operations, Type 3 (industry-extension heavy-duty) for sustained-use or extreme-conditions applications. Most orders are Type 2.
2. Size: ¾” for booster lines, 1″ for hand-crew progressive lays, 1½” for engine preconnects.
3. Length per section: 50 ft or 100 ft typical. 100 ft is standard for engine preconnects; 50 ft sections are easier to carry for hand crews.
4. Coupling thread: NPSH for 1″ (per 5100-187c). NH/NST for 1½” (per 5100-187c).
5. Coupling material: Aluminum (standard) or AL-MAG alloy (ultra-lightweight, for helitack and hand-crew use where every ounce matters).
6. Percolating variant: Optional — specify if your operations include running line through active burn zones.
7. Certification: Confirm USFS 5100-187c compliance for federal procurement. Many state and local agencies also reference 5100-187c as the standard specification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between forestry hose and structural attack hose?

Forestry hose is single-jacket, all-synthetic, lightweight, designed for wildland fire conditions and certified to USFS 5100-187c. Structural attack hose is double-jacket, designed for structural firefighting from a fire engine, and certified to NFPA 1961. The two are not interchangeable — wildland operations need forestry hose for the weight, packability and TPU lining; structural operations need attack hose for the abrasion resistance and higher pressure ratings.

Why is forestry hose yellow?

Yellow is the standard color for Type 2 forestry hose, identifying it as wildland fire hose at a glance during operations. The color is from pigment added to the polyurethane jacket impregnation. Type 1 uncoated forestry hose is typically white (no pigment carrier). Yellow has the additional advantage of being highly visible in smoke and ash conditions — helpful for ground crews tracking their hose lays and for aerial observers monitoring crew positions. See our fire hose color codes guide for the full color convention.

Can I use forestry hose for structural firefighting?

Not as a primary attack line. Forestry hose is single-jacket and lacks the abrasion resistance of double-jacket structural attack hose — it will wear quickly when dragged across structural surfaces (concrete, gravel, metal). The 300 psi service pressure also matches structural attack hose minimums, but the lower-weight construction generally produces a less durable line for sustained structural use. In emergency situations, forestry hose can be pressed into structural service, but for normal brigade attack operations, specify double-jacket attack hose.

Why does 1″ forestry hose use NPSH threads instead of NH/NST?

Historical convention. 1″ forestry hose has used NPSH (National Pipe Straight Hose) threads since the original 5100-187 specification. NH/NST threads are sized for the larger fire-service couplings (1½” and above), and using NPSH on 1″ hose maintains compatibility with the existing wildland equipment fleet — adapters, nozzles, manifolds, wyes — that all use NPSH at the 1″ size. Changing this would require replacing decades of installed equipment.

How long does forestry hose last?

Typical service life is 3-7 years depending on type and use intensity. Type 1 uncoated hose typically lasts 3-5 years in normal hand-crew service. Type 2 coated hose typically lasts 5-7 years. Type 3 heavy-duty hose can last 7-10 years. Service life is dominated by jacket abrasion — hose dragged across heavy gravel or rocky terrain may need replacement in 2-3 years, while hose used primarily for structure protection in WUI areas can last 8+ years. NFPA 1962 governs the annual service test schedule — see our Fire Hose Testing & Inspection guide.

What temperature range can forestry hose handle?

Standard 5100-187c forestry hose with TPU lining is rated −40°F to +180°F (−40°C to +82°C). Some specialized variants extend the lower limit to −60°F for arctic, high-altitude, and winter prescribed-burn operations. The upper limit reflects the TPU lining’s sustained-temperature service ceiling — direct flame contact would exceed this temperature, which is why percolating hose is used for active-burn-zone deployment.