FOREST FIRES
A forestfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area.[1][2] Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wildland fire may be used to describe the same phenomenon depending on the type of vegetation being burned. A wildfire differs from other fires by its extensive size, the speed at which it can spread out from its original source, its potential to change direction unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps such as roads, rivers and fire breaks.[3] Forest fires are characterized in terms of the cause of ignition, their physical properties such as speed of propagation, the combustible
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This fuel type is especially susceptible to ignition due to spotting. Ground fires typically burn by smoldering, and can burn slowly for days to months, such as peat fires in Kalimantan and Eastern Sumatra, Indonesia, which resulted from a riceland creation project that unintentionally drained and dried the peat.[29][30] * Crawling or surface fires are fueled by low-lying vegetation such as leaf and timber litter, debris, grass, and low-lying shrubbery.[31] * Ladder fires consume material between low-level vegetation and tree canopies, such as small trees, downed logs, and vines. Kudzu, Old World climbing fern, and other invasive plants that scale trees may also encourage ladder fires.[32] * Crown, canopy, or aerial fires burn suspended material at the canopy level, such as tall trees, vines, and mosses. The ignition of a crown fire, termed crowning, is dependent on the density of the suspended material, canopy height, canopy continuity, and sufficient surface and ladder fires in order to reach the tree crowns.[33] For example, ground-clearing fires lit by humans can spread into the Amazon rain forest, damaging ecosystems not particularly suited for heat or arid conditions.[34]
Physical properties
Forest fires occur when all of the necessary elements of a fire triangle come together in a wooded area: an ignition source is brought into contact with a
Unattended wildfires have to be attended at all times because a warm breeze can blow the hot ashes and fire out of the pit. Burning debris in fire weather is very dangerous to a community because people are now burning rash and they aren’t putting them out with water and they are unaware of the weather conditions and their surroundings. Arson fires are caused by people who have had bad “moments” with other people around them. Arsonist are people who use accelerants such as gasoline and kerosene, to ignite and directionalize fires. The amount of time for an arsony is 20 years or life. The reason why arsonists set fires is pyromania. Pyromania is an obsessive desire to burn things. There are two types of pyromania: individual and environmental pyromania. Individual pyromania is when one person with this disorder sets something on fire. Environmental pyromania is when multiple disordered people set a certain amount of items on fire and this can be a high risk to others in the environment. Lightning is also a cause of wildfires because lightning is known for always striking the highest point or anything metal. Lightning rods are being used as the highest point for houses so when lightning strikes, it won’t strike anything in the house. Instead, it goes underground and won’t go electrocute anything in the
Cigarettes are one of the main cause of wildfires, the other is camp fires not being extinguished properly, that is 90% of wildfires are caused by human mistakes Joyce (2017). The Texas Panhandle is going through a drought, while everyone is praying for rain. Once a wildfire starts it is very hard to control, even with the hard-working fire fighters. There are many other helpful individuals that track the signs of wildfires, such as the National Park Service.
For as long as mankind can conceive, fire has been a remarkable tool to conquer. When controlled, it provides necessary heat, energy, and fuel for a consumer to use; however, when fire goes unattended, it has the potential to become a wholly destructive element. The more western states of America, such as Utah and Colorado, have repeatedly experienced this concept in its most devastating form: wildfires. A wildfire is generally considered to be difficult to control and fast moving, swallowing anything that lay in its path, including forest or human habitat. As human incursion reaches more remote areas in wooded mountains, wildfires pose a serious threat to high-end homes and secluded cabins. The untamed nature of these fires also allows them to creep into subdivisions and endanger more
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
Smoke is coming from the woods. The fire is burring pine trees and is spreading.
This was attributed to the ranges of vegetation type with elevation and slope, with mixed conifer tree species growing at higher elevations with increased tree cover. Similar patterns can be identified with the Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest. The Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) or Calocedrus decurrens (incense cedar) tree species tend to favor higher elevations, slopes between 0 - 45 degrees, and aspects between 0 - 33 degrees from North (Myers).
Any slight little ember can cause a full blown wildfire. Especially when the leaves die and crumble, they become even more vulnerable to fire. In October, when the cool air ripples through trees and grass, an ember can blow away, causing fire in many places. If the meteor broke apart and landed in several areas across the midwest, fires can sprout up very
The fire began as the result of an out-of-control campfire, and because of high wind and drought conditions which resulted in low fuel-moisture spread relatively quickly for an upland fire in the southeastern United States, although not to the scale of western wildfires. Even though the 2000 Linville Gorge fire was mainly a surface fire, the fire burned 4,000 hectares of wilderness area, and forced local management agencies to start paying more attention to upland ecosystems that were not previously thought to be fire-dependent. Considering the magnitude of the fire, it was fortunate that no human lives or homes were lost in the inferno. Vegetative studies show that Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), an evergreen shrub, reproduced much faster than other understory species (Dumas, Neufeld, & Fisk, 2007). This is attributed to its ability to resprout following a fire. The Linville Gorge Fire has been significant in shaping Southeastern fire mitigation in that it gave foresters an opportunity to study oak-pine forests that had not seen fire for over 50
Lightning from summer storms in addition to abnormally dry weather is responsible for the increase of fires.
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
Brush fires raise particular concerns in the arid desert where they can become large-scale incidents requiring numerous resources and can endanger homes, lives, and personal property. The frequency of brush fire calls when all similar code types are combined total 42 brush fires for the previous 20 months of which 22 were considered working fires. Of the 22 working fires 16 were set intentionally and ruled arson, of which 8 were started by juveniles. There are 3 fires were accidently started by misuse of a heat source (2 campfires and 1 person burning weeds with a propane torch) and
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.
A wildfire is any instance of uncontrolled burning in grasslands, brush, or woodlands. Wildfires destroy property and valuable natural resources, and may threaten the lives of people and animals. Wildfires can occur at any time of the year, but usually occur during hot, dry weather. Wildfires are usually signaled by dense smoke which may fill the air for miles around. The National Weather Service, U.S. Forest Service, and State forestry agencies combine to give wildfire probability forecasts. Local radio and television stations broadcast information and warnings on local fire conditions. Wildfires pose an increasing threat to the residential United States. In 1987, 53,000 fires consumed more than two million acres. By October 1988, almost
Fire is explained in a tetrahedron of necessary requirements a fire needs before it is able to spring to life. First, is sufficient fuel. Different types of fuel coincide with different types of terrain. In dry, sparse areas, dead grass and shrubs provide the best fuel. In lush, green forests, pine needles, leaves, twigs, and other such things typically underfoot makes for the best fuel . Second, is an oxidizing agent. This could be the oxygen
Occasionally, during periods of high rain the brush would grow up and the high winds would spread the fire to the tops of the trees creating canopy fires in tress that were otherwise fire-resistant (like the Ponderosa Pine). These canopy fires, however,were not as destructive as the ones that the West is experiencing today because of how the forest was spaced out. If a canopy fire broke out in one area, it would be contained by the grassland border, and be reduced to a low intensity grass fire which would eventually burn out. This meant that some areas of forests would be severely damaged; some would experience moderate damage, while still others might not even have fire. The effect of this kind of sporadic fire was the key to maintaining the mosaic landscape of the West.