A bucket brigade is two lines of people, one passing full buckets toward the fire and one returning empties, with people 2-3 m apart, the strongest at the water and at the fire end, and a commander who decides where the water goes. At 50-80 L/min with 10-12 L buckets it passes 4-8 buckets a minute, and over 30 m it needs 10-15 people on each side; its water should wet the neighbouring buildings, not the burning one.
Part of Fire Prevention in Settlements
A bucket brigade is the pre-planned arrangement of people into lines that pass buckets of water from a store to a fire, used where there are no pumps or hoses.
The Brigade Works Only If Its Roles Are Fixed Before The Fire
The fire guide calls the bucket brigade the settlement’s fire engine and says its effectiveness depends entirely on pre-planning. Its organization: two lines, one passing full buckets toward the fire and one returning empty ones; people 2-3 m apart; the strongest people at the water source, where filling is the hardest work, and at the fire end, where accurate throwing counts; and a commander directing the water, so that not everyone throws at the same spot. It asks for 10-15 buckets per cluster, kept at the water, each holding 10-12 L, and monthly practice, because an unpractised brigade wastes water and breaks down under stress.
Worked Example: People, Buckets And Time
Inputs from the fire guide and the water-point article (Water Points for Fire Fighting): throughput 50-80 L/min; bucket 10-12 L; spacing 2-3 m; distance 30 m.
- Buckets a minute: 50 ÷ 12 = 4.2 to 80 ÷ 10 = 8, so 4-8.
- Interval between buckets at the fire end: 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 s to 60 ÷ 4 = 15 s.
- People a side over 30 m: 30 ÷ 3 = 10 to 30 ÷ 2 = 15. Two lines need 20-30 people.
- Buckets in the line: if each person holds one bucket, 20-30 people hold 20-30. The 10-15 buckets the guide stocks per cluster would keep about half of them busy, so plan to draw buckets from neighbouring clusters or stock more.
The strain on the water end is the limit. If the person filling needs 10 s a bucket, one filler gives 6 buckets a minute, so two fillers are needed to reach 8 and a ramp or a tap helps (Water Systems for Fire Fighting).
What You Need
- 10-15 buckets per cluster, of equal size, at the water
- A named commander for each fire watch, with a deputy
- A named leader at the water who keeps the fill going
- A list of people for the line, with the strong at the ends (Response Protocols & Training)
- Gloves and a place to put down burned or wet clothing
Method: Form, Run And Rotate The Line
Step 1: On the alarm, each person goes to a station from a roster; the first arrivals take the water and fire ends.
Step 2: Form the line from the water toward the fire, not from the fire back.
Step 3: Pass, do not walk. Full buckets go hand to hand; the empties return on the second line.
Step 4: The commander picks the target: the neighbour’s wall and roof facing the fire, or the small fire if it can be reached with the exit behind the person throwing.
Step 5: Rotate the two ends every few minutes, because filling and throwing are the hardest places.
Step 6: Stop when the commander says, count the people, and clear the buckets.
Common Mistakes
- Aiming at the burning building. It cannot be saved, and the people near it are in danger.
- Everyone throwing at one spot. The commander exists to prevent it.
- Too few buckets. The line breaks into walkers.
- No rotation. The fillers tire first, and the rate falls.
Safety
A bucket line into a building that is well alight kills people
The line must never stand where a wall or roof can fall on it: a free-standing wall can land as far away as it is high, which is 3 m for a 3 m wall, and the heat within 5 m of a burning wall is about 23 kW/m² (Fire Breaks & Building Spacing). Fight only a small fire with the exit behind you; otherwise get out, count the people and wet the neighbours from a protected position.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Response Protocols & Training — drilling the brigade
- Combine with: Distribution & Access Points — where the line starts