Wildfires
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Wildfires Josh Tanner Camille Evans Victoria Taufer
description
Wildfires. Josh Tanner Camille Evans Victoria Taufer. Surface – Most common type and burns along the floor of the forest, moving slowly and killing or damaging trees. Ground – Usually started by lighting and burns on or below the forest floor in the human layer down to the mineral soil. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Wildfires
Wildfires Josh Tanner Camille Evans Victoria Taufer
Surface – Most common type and burns along the floor of the forest, moving slowly and killing or damaging trees.
Ground – Usually started by lighting and burns on or below the forest floor in the human layer down to the mineral
soil
Crown – Spread rapidly by wind and move quickly by jumping along the tops of trees.
What a Fire Needs:
Fire Triangle
How a Fire Starts:Carelessness by humans
CigarettesCampfires
ArsonLightingNatural Combustion
Inside the Fire:
Speed of flamesIntensityTemperatureFIRE!!
California Fires: Since 2007 over
271,000 acres destroyed by wildfires.
Billions of dollars spent on recovery so far.
Less expensive to fight fires than to prepare for them.
Why California’s a Hotspot?
Unnatural buildup of vegetationNative plants depend on fire for reproductionFire season begins in October because of
Santa Ana winds coming in.Little rain = dry conditions in summerVery hot climate
South Africa Fires: Greatest threat is to
grazing land. Extreme dry conditions
little rainfall make ideal conditions for fires.
Greatest affect on rural areas.
2008 – Most recent fire with 45 dead.
How This Affects Utah: We fit in most extreme
danger zone in the U.S. Population is greater
here than on the plains of Africa.
Need to realize the danger is REAL here!
We Can Prevent Fires:
Bad Camper 75% of fires caused by
people. Be careful and cautious
when we are outdoors. Put out ALL embers of
fires we make outdoors.
Be Prepared:
Follow local codes in order to avoid restrictions on materials and plants.
Mark driveway, house number, and make sure firefighters can get to your home.
Make a family evacuation planMake sure family knows about wildfire danger.
Not All Bad: Fires do good too:
Clear away debrisSpeeds up nutrient
recycling of soilsClears away grass &
shrubs to make way for new seedlings to grow.
Why Make a Difference: Smokey says so:
Video Keep people safe Common sense will
increase if used Keep smoke from
getting up in atmosphere.
Protect wildlife
Questions?
References:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/5-ways-wildfires-start.html http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/wildfire.html http://web.nmsu.edu/~canarago/ http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/iffn/country/za/za_8.html http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-13/south-african-fires-destroy-free-state-grazing-
land-sapa-says.html
http://www.grida.no/graphicslib/detail/wildfires-in-south-africa_105f# http://www.ktvb.com/news/BLM-on-average-75-of-fires-are-human-caused-127973873.html http://www.smokeybear.com/
