Wildfires

Wildfires

 

 

                In just minutes, fire being fueled by weather and dry vegetation can burn across the land, consuming everything in its path. Each year there are more than 100,000 wildfires that burn almost 5 million acres of land. Wildfires have been clocked moving at nearly 14mph; these fires will stop for nothing, not even human life.

                Wildfires need several key inputs to be successful. First, they need fuel, this could consist of trees, grass, brush, homes, and anything that is flammable in the surrounding area. Secondly, fires need oxygen that is pulled from the air and used in the combustion process. This pulling of air can generate its own gusts of winds. The last input for fire is a heat source; this is used to bring fuel temperatures high enough to ignite. Some examples of heat sources would be: lightning, campfires, cigarettes, hot winds, or even the sun.

                Fires are started all the time, nearly 4 out of 5 are started by humans, some are for good and others are bad. Nature usually contributes by supplying dry weather, high winds to allow fire to spread quickly, and hot temperatures. In these conditions it just takes one spark and a fire can burn for weeks. Fires can ignite anywhere but are more predominate in the western United States where drought and thunderstorms are abundant. In California the Santa Ana winds have been known to carry sparks for miles, igniting fires elsewhere. Firefighters deprive the fire from its 3 key inputs with several techniques. They can spray water or retardants, remove vegetation, or set up fire breaks.  In order to lower the danger of a fire, control burns can be done where vegetation is burned off of an area to thin out fuel density.

                When hearing about wildfires, a negative association is brought along with it. Although they can be destructive to human lives, they also serve a valuable purpose to the environment. Fires can return nutrients to the soil by burning dead organic material and then allowing new growth to prosper. When handled in a proper manner, fire can be a useful tool in generating new life.