Research Paper On Wildfires

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

In 2003, possibly one of the worst wildfires in California’s history occurred. This fire, referred to as the Cedar Fire, spread across 273,246 acres.

no surprise that wildfires are a huge issue in the western states. Especially on Indian Reservations. Two articles that focus on this issue are called Secretary Zinke Directs Interior Bureaus to Take aggressive Action to Prevent Wildfires, US Department of Interior & Western US Faces Wildfires Explosion by Kieran Cooke, Climate News Network. Both of these articles argue that wildfires shouldn’t become normalized and that something should be done to prevent and/or be better prepared for when wildfires occur. In essence these articles focus primarily on the amount of land burning and the effect it has on vegetation.

The hayman fire is the biggest fire in recorded history burning 138,000 acres. The fire has had long lasting damages on the environment. There were many factor that added up that created a dangerous situation where the area was very fire prone. Though the fire was believed to be started by a woman burning a letter but the forest had the right conditions to generate a massive fire.

The first cavalry of wildland firefighters began in August 1886 led by Captain Moses Harris from Troop M. When he took command of the group at Yellowstone National Park, their job was to manage and protect the park.The cavalry remained there for the next 32 years. Quickly after the group's arrival, they immediately began fighting wildfires all around the park. Here emerged the first group of wildland firefighters to be paid for their service. Workers began to apply new regulations, including campfire restrictions when deemed absolutely necessary. These regulations are known as NFPA’s which is an acronym for National Fire Protection Association.

Wildfires need three things called a fire triangle they have fuel source,drywood,plants,oxygen, and a heat source. Every year wildfires burn more than 400 acres. Wildfire can damage homes or buildings and could kill people. Firefighters also fight fire by cutting dead grass.

The rising number of high severity wildfires in California has significant ecological, economic, and health impacts. Many western American forests are adapted to frequent low severity fires. However, the majority of these forests, and particularly the mixed conifer forests of California, are not adapted to high intensity fires and do not possess fire resistance adaptations such as serotinous cones to protect seeds. Consequently, high severity fires have significant negative impacts on California forests, and the absence of low severity fires has considerably altered many fundamental ecosystem processes (Miller et al. 2008). Prior to 1900, low severity fires would burn every 6-15 years. Low severity fires are generally non-lethal, have minimal change to the overstory, and kill mainly small trees. In the past, these fires were started naturally by lightning, or by Native Americans who used low severity fires to manage the forests.

The Chicago Fire started on Oct,8 1871 just after nine o’clock. Ms. Catherine O’Leary was milking her cow in a wooden barn 137 Dekouen Street. Ms. Catherine cow kicked a lantern and it supposable that’s how the fire started. Studies say that the fire lasted for 2 days straight and that 300 people were found dead and that 100, 000 where homeless. After 2 days rain started to fall and over 200 million dollars’ worth of property was destroyed. The Great Chicago fire became famous because, it was the longest fire and it lasted two days and it spread over seventy-three miles. When the fire ended over 17,500 buildings were destroyed this fire took away a lot of things that where precious to them. The fire was so easily started because, everything

The Waldo Canyon Fire occurred on June 23, 2012 in Colorado. The area contained dry wild winds, and high temperatures as well as dry land; this resulted in the rapid spread of the fire. Firefighters responded to this situation by containing the fire spread, they checked the area where houses are close to vegetation. They evacuated the area to prevent more fatalities.

On August 12th, Los Angeles Times reported 16,500-acer wildfires grew overnight near Northern California’s wine county. The fire that started August 9th has continued to spread to nearby counties and officials fear gusty winds could continue to spread flames into dry woodlands. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protections, they have prompted residents near the Napa and Yolo county lines to flee their homes; at least 150 homes were evacuated.

Wildland firefighers are hired by Forest Service Bureaus of land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U. F. Fish and Wildlife Service, Emergency Services, Fish and Game, and Fire and Rescue. Some local agencies also hire them where a large chunk of area within the city is covered by woodland. The employment would be for year-around or seasonal, which means the wildland firefighters will work only during the time when the probability of wildfire breaking out is high.

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

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.

Humans have been changing the Western forests' fire system since the settlement by the Europeans and now we are experiencing the consequences of those changes. During the summer of 2002, 6.9 million acres of forests was burnt up in the West (Wildland Fires, 1). This figure is two times the ten year annual average, and it does not look like next summer will be any better (Wildfire Season, 1).