A Brief Note On Wildfires And Its Effects On The Environment

Forest fires kill many animals and usually destroy a large amount of land. Prescribed burns seem like they would be the best idea, but are they? Their claim to fame is to clear out land in order to decrease the burning space for when an actual forest fire occurs. Yet this may seem like a brilliant idea, but one must look at the negative aspects of controlled burnings. People might have a change of heart when they realize the damages and effects of such an interesting act. Keep in mind that not only is your health involved but even such things as the inconvenience of dealing with a smoky town. It is important to understand that prescribed burns cause severe health problems especially to

As to actually fighting fire, Wildfires are crazy unpredictable, the factors the drive the fire could change in an instant an kill you and your whole

There is quite a debate when it comes to the idea of controlled fires to protect nature. Many agree that the benefits out way the risks but many also believe that a controlled fire is too dangerous to take that chance. If proper steps are taken, the outcome of the process is not only safe but also effective.

The National Park Service communicates with surrounding areas to help prevent fires. They also have specialists to investigate when a burn ban needs to be in effect, this is all depending on certain reasons and moisture content in the area Angie (2006). Firefighters fight wildfires by depriving them of one or more of the fire trio basics. Traditional methods include water drenching and spraying fire retardants to

In the last 26 years we have nationally lost 440 firefighter lives to entrapments, accidents, heart attacks, and heat related injuries. The Yarnell Hill fire represented the largest single loss of life in the wildfire history of Arizona at 19 deaths, preceded by the Dude fire in 1990 with 6 deaths. Fire commanders do their best to try and predict the path and behavior of a wildfire, but as stated earlier, they are dangerous. Areas are frequently evacuated in advance of the fire to reduce the danger to human life with little or no prior notice. Residents flee their homes leaving behind all their possessions and unfortunately their pets and livestock. I have spent many days burying pets that were left behind to fend for themselves in the hope that their owners would not be faced with the task on their return. An Arizona strike team was deployed to the Rice Fire in Fallbrook, California to provided structure protection following a mandatory evacuation. It was a surreal sight to see streetlights changing, newspapers blowing across the street, and playground equipment moving in the wind without a soul in town. When we traveled outside the evacuation perimeter, people that had camped out in parking lots came forward to heard of any news of their homes. I could not help but think that this might have been

Thousands upon thousands of acres are lost in forest fires every year. We always hear about the dramatic losses caused by forest fires and are often concerned by them. There are so many horrible effects from fires and most of them affect so many people. Studies have shown that out of all of the different methods to decrease fire damage, prescribed burns are the most affective. Many people would argue that they are not as affective because they cause so many health problems. Although that is a very important view and may seem valid, those health issues are not as extreme as one might think. People should look at the majority of the benefits form prescribed burns and they will see how affective and important they are.

After comparing these two articles it’s clear that wildfires need to be taken as serious as any other natural disaster. The topic of wildfires is often misunderstood. Many people think that wildfires happen and that’s what firefighters are for. In reality it’s more than the duty of firefighters. People should learn to contribute to the prevention of the spread wildfires. House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop said “I’m heartened to finally have an Administration that’s focused on actively managing and addressing the on-the-ground conditions that are contributing to our historic wildfire crisis” (US Department of the

Fires can either be natural or anthropogenic, which can depend on any situation. A study conducted in 2004 on a wild fire at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, suggests that the fire can

Jeremy Smith, 24, and Jesse Cassara, 22, were camping on June 30, 2015 at the Smoky Desert State Park and did not properly extinguish their cigarettes, which ultimately lead to a 14, 100-acre brush fire of the Indian Reservation near Warner Springs.

The focus of this lesson will be teaching the students to examine the history of wildland fires and their impact on society in America and in their community. Students will explore different approaches to living with fire and will examine various fire management techniques including prescribed fire, fire suppression, and fire prevention. They will take a closer look at the Copper King Fire in Montana, and will conduct a research project of wildfire history in another state. Students will also gain a better understanding of the role of fire in a particular culture and the importance of wildfire in the ecosystem. They will also understand ways to reduce wildfire risk around their home and community. Furthermore, students will increase their knowledge

The economic cost of wildfires is very expensive. All the help from the firefighters is very costly. The firefighters work hours a day for months depending on how big the fire spreads. All the chemicals and aircrafts they spend on trying to put out the fire adds on to the cost. The houses and the rest of the owner's belongings are lost from the fire and are needed to be rebuilt and repurchased. Millions of dollars is spent on the damage of

Since August 1, 2014 over 760 fires have burned through 27,829 acres in Utah. Over 380 of these fires are from human activity. I am writing to inform you of this major problem and to suggest ways to prevent most wildfires from happening. Now, we can’t control lighting and that has been a huge cause of wildfires in Utah, but we still have things we can do to keep us safe, and animals safe. I personally live in a beautiful valley that’s already had two fires in the last six months. These fires have miraculously been controlled, making it so I don’t have to evacuate my home. But many, people in Utah suffer evacuating from their homes and losing most possessions, including their house. Now with these many sufferings from flames there is

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, Wildfire means “a sweeping and destructive conflagration esp. in a wilderness or a rural area.” Also according to the same dictionary, wilderness means “a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings.” Forest Fires happen when there is a drought because branches and twigs die and dry out creating plenty of fuel for a fire. According to the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) there are about 105,534 wildfires that occur each year.

On the actual day of the fire, the fire planners will again check such conditions as wind and moisture content in the vegetation. The wind direction will determine where the fire is started. Fire crews start the burn with a device called a drip torch. A drip torch is a can of fuel with a flame-carrying wick at the end. When the crewmember tilts the wick toward the ground, a flame streams out and ignites the vegetation. Most of the effort that goes into a prescribed fire is making sure that it is contained in the boundaries set for the fire. Firefighters and fire suppression equipment are near the site if the fire grows out of control (www.nps.gov/wica/fir-why.html, pgs. 1-3).

Much like all events and natural phenomena that pose a threat to civilization, humans have learned to cope with and prevent the loss of human life and destruction of property in devastating blazes that can break out seemingly at random. Fighting fires was not always the science it is today, but due to the use of new technologies and the fundamental understanding of what fire is, how it spreads, how it can kill, and how it is stopped, our protocol when dealing with fires has increased our success rate and continues to grow with applications of engineering, chemistry, and meteorology.