Rising temperatures and dry conditions are the perfect ingredients for summer wildfires. While they seem more common in the western parts of the U.S., a wildfire can occur in any forested area of the country. Public service announcements on TV talk about preventing forest fires, but information about what to do in the event of a wildfire is not well known. As the weather grows warmer, keep the following tips in mind regarding wildfires.
Wildfires: What to Do
Prepare your family: Create an emergency disaster kitand plan where you would go if a wildfire caused you to evacuate. Think of more than one route to get to your evacuation destination as a wildfire may cause roads to close.
Prepare your home to in advance: During the summer, keep the plants surrounding your home pruned and well watered. Healthy plants around your home can help protect it from burning; dry plants fuel a fire. Additionally, make sure your irreplaceable items are in a fireproof location (like a safety deposit box) and that you have copies of important documents and cherished photographs in a location other than your home.
Keep all combustible away from your home, including propane tanks you use for your grill.
Call the fire department: If you see a wildfire, do not assume the fire department knows about it; you may be the first person to report the event.
Follow all evacuation orders: Staying in your home will not save it from a wildfire.
Plan to recover: Even the most prepared individuals can get caught off-guard. Keep the number of a disaster restoration company in your list of emergency contacts. They can help you recover from smoke damage, restore wet books and recover damaged documents.
The traditional method to fight fires is with water, special foams, powders and other chemical substances. Harvard University’s Whitesides Research Group, however, have created a “wand” that harnesses the power of electric fields to control flames. This new technology could help reduce the environmental threats and water damage caused by traditional flame tamers.
How it Works
National Geographicreports the wand is a thin wire connected to a 600-watt amplifier plugged into the wall. The amplifier is about the size of a file cabinet and has the power of a high-end car stereo. The wand creates the electric field necessary—a million volts per meter—to create a spark in dry air, but the frequency is not enough to pose dangers to healthy individuals. Harvard researchers found that when they brought the wand close to 20-inch, thin flames, the flames disappeared almost instantly. Future smaller versions of the wand device will use a tenth of the wattage, be more portable and would create the same results.
The Science behind the Magic
Flames contain ions, soot and electrons that react to electric fields. Because of this, the wand uses electricity to detach the flames away from its fuel source. The science behind this recent discovery involving electricity has scientists working on a way to suppress wider fires and those that are farther away by changing the shape of the voltage, frequency and electric current in the wand. While the wand is not the answer for fighting all fires, like wildfires, there is a possibility that future versions could allow firefighters to carry power sources in a backpack that attach to a wand, or buildings and ships could have a similar feature in their ceilings.
In the Meantime
The promise of new technology does not mean individuals can ignore traditional fire-safety prevention methods. It is still the responsibility of home and business owners to take measures to ensure the safety of those in the home or office.
Wildfire crews with the Texas Forest Service responded to six wildfires that spanned 1,124 acres over the weekend. Over the last week, however, 50 wildfires affected 20,670 acres of Texas land. In response, fire managers with the Texas Forest Services are using aircraft in many of the inaccessible parts of the state, such as Type I helicopters and single-engine airtankers (SEATs).
Wildfire Outlook
The weather is not cooperating with the firefighting efforts. The Texas Forest Service states:
“…Confidence is low at this time because there is a deepening upper air trough over the desert Southwest that is not consistent with ‘Outbreak’ models. Still, other solutions indicate a dry zone from the Trans Pecos to the Panhandle, with relative humidity at 10 to 15 percent and wind speeds in the 25 to 35 mph range. The fastest winds aloft will occur in the Panhandle, while the driest air will be over the Trans Pecos and western Permian Basin, possibly keeping the ‘Outbreak’ scenario at bay. In any case, thick, dry vegetation is ripe for ignition across the entire western half of the state, and even moderate winds could rapidly push fires out of control…”
Wildfire Preparation
If your home or business is in the path of a wildfire, follow the safety instructions provided by emergency personnel. Prepare an emergency disaster kit and evacuate the area if necessary.
An unusually cooler summer in the Pacific Northwest has given firefighting crews some relief this year. Oil-rich pine trees along with grasses and brush in dry, hot summer heat are the perfect fuel for wildfires, which have engulfed several thousands of acres during the past summer seasons.
According to news station KGW, the peak of wildfire season is July 1 through August 20. This year, however, the cold, wet June weather pushed the wildfire season back three weeks. The cooler weather has kept grasses and brush greener, so even multiple lightening strikes are not producing large-scale fires. So far, for example, only two wildfires have affected the state of Oregon this summer.
While this news is can help residents put their fears aside, they should not relax when it comes to taking wildfire precautionary measures. After all, there are still several weeks remaining in the wildfire season.
Take the following steps to help protect your home and business for a wildfire:
Remove all pine needles that have fallen on the ground around a building. Additionally, do not lay pine needles down as a form of mulch or a decorative landscape element. Pine needles, even dry ones, contain oil in them that can easily ignite.
Clear the area around a building of any dry brush, and move flammable vegetation at least 30 feet away from a building.
If you like the look of vegetation around a building, consider planting succulents. These easy-to-manage plants are rich in color and moisture—even during dry, hot weather—and can help act as a fire barrier.
Keep all combustible materials, such as gas tanks and flammable chemicals, away from a building.
Keep your landscape well manicured. Well-watered lawns and trimmed hedges are harder for fires to penetrate.
More than 170 homes in Eagle Rock, Ariz. had to evacuate this weekend as thousands more are advised to do the same. A wildfire, which started last week, was thought to be about 40% contained until a second one started during the weekend. The AP reports this second fire currently “rages out of control.” It is believed that lightening started the second blaze. A man who started small campfire and did not extinguish it properly unintentionally caused the first fire.
Affected Areas
Currently, those living in the Timberline Estates, Wupatki Trails and Fernwood are being advised to leave their homes and head to a Red Cross shelter at Flagstaff Middle School. Experts from the Kaibab National Forest state the fire should be contained by Tuesday, June 22, 2010. County Road 141 is now re-open, but the area around the fire is still closed. While the Kaibab National Forest remains open for camping, the lake is closed to boating and fishing as it is being used for fire operations, according to the Fire Department News Network.
Fire Information
If you live in the Eagle Rock area and wish to learn more about the fires, call the Fire Information Center from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm at 928-635-5687 or 928-635-5688. More on this story.
Rising temperatures and dry conditions are the perfect ingredients for summer wildfires. While they seem more common in the western parts of the U.S., a wildfire can occur in any forested area of the country. Public service announcements on TV talk about preventing forest fires, but information about what to do in the event of a wildfire is not well known. As the weather grows warmer, keep the following tips in mind regarding wildfires.
