Scribd
Upload
253 views2 pages

WILDFIRES!

Wildfires occur most frequently in areas with wet seasons followed by long, hot, dry seasons, such as parts of Australia, South Africa, southern Europe, and western United States. Three factors are needed for a fire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and heat. While most wildfires are human-caused, firefighters consider land shape, weather, and fuel type when battling blazes. Strategies like clearing trees and vegetation or building fire-resistant structures can reduce wildfire risks and impacts. No single action can entirely solve wildfire issues, so experts recommend using multiple prevention and control strategies appropriately.

Uploaded by

Thư Dương
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
253 views2 pages

WILDFIRES!

Wildfires occur most frequently in areas with wet seasons followed by long, hot, dry seasons, such as parts of Australia, South Africa, southern Europe, and western United States. Three factors are needed for a fire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and heat. While most wildfires are human-caused, firefighters consider land shape, weather, and fuel type when battling blazes. Strategies like clearing trees and vegetation or building fire-resistant structures can reduce wildfire risks and impacts. No single action can entirely solve wildfire issues, so experts recommend using multiple prevention and control strategies appropriately.

Uploaded by

Thư Dương
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

WILDFIRES!

2.04

Wildfires occur all around the world, but they are most frequent in areas
that have wet seasons followed by long, hot, dry seasons. These conditions exist
A
in parts of Australia, South Africa, southern Europe, and the western regions of
the United States. These places therefore experience particularly dangerous fires.
A wildfire can move quickly and destroy large areas of land in just a few
minutes. There are three conditions that need to be present in order for a fire to
burn: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Fuel can be anything in the path of the
B fire that can burn—trees, grass, and even homes. Air supplies the oxygen. Heat
sources include lightning, hot winds—like the Santa Ana winds in California—
and even heat from the sun. However, most wildfires are caused by people, not
nature, especially from cigarettes and campfires.
When trying to put out a fire, firefighters must consider three main factors:
the shape of the land, the weather, and the type of fuel in the path of the fire. For
example, fire often moves faster uphill. Southern sides of mountains are sunnier
and drier, so they are more likely to burn than the northern sides. Also, strong
C
winds can suddenly change the direction of a fire. This could put firefighters
directly in the fire’s path and threaten their safety. Sudden changes in wind
direction also make it hard to predict the spread of a fire. Lastly, dry grass and
dead trees tend to burn faster than trees with lots of moisture.
From past experience, we know that it is difficult to prevent wildfires, but
it is possible to stop them from becoming too big. One strategy is to cut down
trees. Another is to start fires on purpose to clear land. Both of these strategies
limit the amount of fuel available for fires by removing plants and trees. In
D addition, people who live in areas where wildfires frequently occur can build
fire-resistant1 homes, says fire researcher Jack Cohen. Cohen has studied
wildfires for more than two decades and is an expert on how houses catch fire.
“In California there were significant cases of communities that did not burn,” he
says, “because they were fire-resistant.”
Most experts agree that no single action will solve the wildfire
E problem entirely. The best method is to consider all these strategies
and use each of them when and where they are the most appropriate.

1
If something is fire-resistant, it does not catch fire easily.

132  UNIT 7

PW_RW_SB2_07779_U07_121-140_ptg01.indd 132 12/10/17 12:55 pm


Fighting Fire • A fter the fire line is created, firefighters cut
down any dead trees in the area between
• To control a wildfire, firefighters on the ground the fire line and the fire. 3 This helps
first look for something in the area that can keep flames from climbing higher into the
block the fire, such as a river or a road. Then treetops.
they dig a deep trench2 along it. This is a “fire • At the same time, other firefighters on the
line”—a line that fire cannot cross. 1 ground begin backburning4 in the area between
• While firefighters on the ground create a fire line, the fire line and the fire. 4
planes and helicopters drop water or chemical fire
retardant3 on the fire. 2 Pilots communicate with 2
A trench is a long, narrow hole that is dug in the ground.
3
 ire retardant is a type of chemical that slows the burning of fire.
F
firefighters on the ground so they know which 4
Backburning involves removing fuel (such as plants and trees) in a
areas to hit. fire’s path by burning it in a controlled way.

3
1

N AT U R E ’ S F U R Y   133

PW_RW_SB2_07779_U07_121-140_ptg01.indd 133 12/10/17 12:55 pm

You might also like