what are general characteristics of wildfires
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Friday, December 11, 2009
Characteristics
Wildfire behavior is often complex and variably dependent on factors such as fuel type, moisture content in the fuel, humidity, windspeed, topography, geographic location, and ambient temperature.[11][12] Growth and behavior are unique to each fire due to many complex variables, but each wildfire exhibits several basic characteristics.[12][13]
Distinction from other fires
The name wildfire was once a synonym for Greek fire as well as a word for any furious or destructive conflagration.[2]Wildfires differ from other fires in that they take place outdoors in areas of grassland, woodlands, bushland, scrubland, peatland, and other woody materials that act as a source of fuel, or combustible material. Buildings are not usually involved unless the fire spreads to adjacent communities and threatens these structures.

Distribution of wildfires on the African continent in 2002
Wildfires have a rapid forward rate of spread (FROS) when fueled by dense uninterrupted vegetation, particularly in wooded areas with canopies.[14] They can escalate as fast as 10.8 kilometers per hour (6.7 mph) in forests and 22 kilometers per hour (14 mph) in grasslands.[15] The ability of a wildfire's burning front to change direction unexpectedly and jump across fire breaks is another identifying characteristic. Intense heat and smoke can lead to disorientation and loss of appreciation of the direction of the fire. These factors make fires particularly dangerous: in 1949 the Mann Gulch fire in Montana, USA, thirteen smokejumpers died when they lost their communication links and became disorientated; the fire consumed 18 square kilometers (4,400 acres).[16] In the Australian February 2009 Victorian bushfires, at least 173 people died and over 2,029 homes and 3,500 structures were lost when they became engulfed by wildfire.[17]
While wildfires may be categorized as large, uncontrolled disasters that burn through 0.4 to 400 square kilometres (100 to 100,000 acres) or more, they can be as small as 0.0010 square kilometers (0.25 acres) or less.[18][19][20] However, even though smaller events may be included in wildfire modeling, most do not earn press attention, which can be problematic because the way the media portrays catastrophic wildfires influences public fire policies more than small fires do.[21][22][23]
Characteristics
Wildfire behavior is often complex and variably dependent on factors such as fuel type, moisture content in the fuel, humidity, windspeed, topography, geographic location, and ambient temperature.[11][12] Growth and behavior are unique to each fire due to many complex variables, but each wildfire exhibits several basic characteristics.[12][13]
Distinction from other fires
The name wildfire was once a synonym for Greek fire as well as a word for any furious or destructive conflagration.[2]Wildfires differ from other fires in that they take place outdoors in areas of grassland, woodlands, bushland, scrubland, peatland, and other woody materials that act as a source of fuel, or combustible material. Buildings are not usually involved unless the fire spreads to adjacent communities and threatens these structures.

Distribution of wildfires on the African continent in 2002
Wildfires have a rapid forward rate of spread (FROS) when fueled by dense uninterrupted vegetation, particularly in wooded areas with canopies.[14] They can escalate as fast as 10.8 kilometers per hour (6.7 mph) in forests and 22 kilometers per hour (14 mph) in grasslands.[15] The ability of a wildfire's burning front to change direction unexpectedly and jump across fire breaks is another identifying characteristic. Intense heat and smoke can lead to disorientation and loss of appreciation of the direction of the fire. These factors make fires particularly dangerous: in 1949 the Mann Gulch fire in Montana, USA, thirteen smokejumpers died when they lost their communication links and became disorientated; the fire consumed 18 square kilometers (4,400 acres).[16] In the Australian February 2009 Victorian bushfires, at least 173 people died and over 2,029 homes and 3,500 structures were lost when they became engulfed by wildfire.[17]
While wildfires may be categorized as large, uncontrolled disasters that burn through 0.4 to 400 square kilometres (100 to 100,000 acres) or more, they can be as small as 0.0010 square kilometers (0.25 acres) or less.[18][19][20] However, even though smaller events may be included in wildfire modeling, most do not earn press attention, which can be problematic because the way the media portrays catastrophic wildfires influences public fire policies more than small fires do.[21][22][23]
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