Wildfire!

A wildfire can happen anywhere in the world. It is defined as a large destructive fire that can spread quickly through woods, brush and grassland. These are unplanned disastrous events that can destroy everything in its path. It not only consumes forests and other vegetation but will burn wildlife, businesses and homes as well. Smoke from the fire affects the health of millions each year. However, wildfires are not just destructive – this force of nature does have beneficial effects.

Wildfires are a natural disaster that can begin in many different ways. Very few of these events are from natural causes like lightning and volcanic activity. Most wildland fires, almost 85 percent, are caused by humans. Careless campers leave their fires unattended or do not extinguish them completely. A cigarette may be thrown into dry grass or equipment may cause sparks igniting dry fuel in the area. Some fires are started on purpose. When it’s done illegally, this is called arson.

Most people don’t think about it but fire is a chemical reaction. For this reaction to happen there must be oxygen, fuel and an ignition source. Fire experts call this the fire triangle. Wildfires happen in open areas where there is plenty of burnable material and oxygen. The weather (wind and humidity) as well as location, can influence how fast a fire can spread.

There are many men and women who fight these fires as a career. There are many different jobs to do to put out one of these fires. The main goal is to remove fuel and oxygen. The best trained crews on the ground are called hotshots. The hotshot crews train to go right into the fire zone. This requires a lot of physical training as well as fire management training. There are 90 hotshot crews in the United States that are ready at a moment's notice.

Aircraft pilots are also on call and ready to head into the smoke and fire. Some of the aircraft are government owned, but some are private. In the skies above a fire you may see helicopters or large tankers. Some planes are able to scoop water out of a lake or pond. Each of these planes can hold up to 1,600 gallons of water. They are called scoopers because they swoop down to the surface of the water. Part of the plane is actually in the water and it scoops water into an opening that fills the tank. It only takes 12 seconds and the plane lifts off again to make another pass over the blaze.

Other people are needed to support the air and land battle of a wildfire. Heavy equipment operators clear strips of land. This is called a fire break. Weather is important so meteorologists are used to predict things like wind and humidity. The National Weather Service can also help predict if the weather is right for a wildfire to happen. Fire watches, warnings and Red Flag days warn people to take extra care when outdoors. Their information helps the firefighters to know what direction the fire will move because of the wind. It also helps people know where the smoke from the fire will be. The air pollution from this smoke is not just dangerous to humans and other animals, but can be very deadly.