Wildfires and what you need to know

9/2/2020 (Permalink)

1. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire. Wildfires often occur in wild, unpopulated areas, but they can occur anywhere and harm homes, agriculture, humans, and animals in their path.
2. Firefighters also refer to these disasters as surface fires, dependent crown fires, spot fires, and ground fires. Want to make local firefighters happy -- and even better at their jobs? Bake cookies to say thanks! 
3. 90% of all wildfires are started by humans.
4. One of the largest fires in recent history was in 1825 when a fire tore through Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, burning 3 million acres of forest.
5. Weather conditions can directly contribute to the occurrence of wildfires through lightning strikes or indirectly by an extended dry spell or drought.
6. Wildfires can be caused by an accumulation of dead matter (leaves, twigs, and trees) that can create enough heat in some instances to spontaneously combust and ignite the surrounding area.
7. Lightning strikes the earth over 100,000 times a day. 10 to 20% of these lightning strikes can cause fire.
8. Manmade combustions from arson, human carelessness, or lack of fire safety cause wildfire disasters every year.
9. An average of 1.2 million acres of US woodland burn every year.
10. A large wildfire or conflagration is capable of modifying the local weather conditions (AKA producing its own weather).