Fires in Nature

Question 1

What can sources of fuel include? (6)
The logs do play a long

Answer 1

• Trees
• Logs
• Dry Grass
• Peteol
• Aerosols
• Leaves

Question 2

What can sources of heat include? (7)

Answer 2

• Cigarette ends
• Matches
• Barbecues
• The sun
• Electrical storms
• Broken glass
• Arson

Question 3

How can the seasons affect the likelihood of wildfires?

Answer 3

The drier and windier the season, the more likely the wildfire

Question 4

What is the most common cause of wildfire?

Answer 4

Arson

Question 5

Which factors can worsen wildfires? (5)
Do love happy horse faces

Answer 5

• Dry vegetation
• Ladder fuels
• Hilly areas
• Homes with wooden/Timber cladding
• Flammable fertilisers

Question 6

How can wildfires be prevented? (5)
(Red Crabs Never Run Backwards)

Answer 6

• Remove ladder fuels
• Control of vegetation
• Natural “breaks” or borders
• Removal of fuel sources
• Burn off crops after harvest

Question 7

What phenomenon can make conditions warmer and drier?

Answer 7

El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole

Question 8

What is El Niño?

Answer 8

A climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean with a global impact on weather

Question 9

How does vegetation type affect wildfires?

Answer 9

Water strong plants eg Cacti are much harder to burn while Eucalyptus use the nutrients released from ash and the additional light from surrounding vegetation being burned, so promote wildfire

Question 10

How can wildfires be mitigated against in certain countries?

Answer 10

In countries such as Australia and the US (which are prone to fires) organisations produce advice for residents and some states such as Colorado provide residents with a set of guidelines

Question 11

What are some of the guidelines set in Colorado? (4)

Answer 11

• Reduce fiels around the home
• Mow grasses and weeds often, to shorter than 6 inches
• Use fire resistant materials in the house
• Dispose if any excess accumulation of logs

Question 12

What is a wildfire?

Answer 12

A bushfire or rural fire which is uncontrollable and spreading

Question 13

What is the most popular wildfire education campaign in the US?

Answer 13

Smokey Bear

Question 14

What are the 5 rules in the Smokey Bear song?

Answer 14

1) Only you can prevent wildfires
2) Always be careful with fire
3) Never okay with matches or lighters
4) Always watch your campfire
5) Make sure your campfire is out before leaving it

Question 15

How effective has Smokey Bear been?

Answer 15

It was launched in 1944 and has since been popular with children + adults, teaching the effect of wildfire in the environment. The success has largely been down to the character

Question 16

What does NFPA stand for?

Answer 16

The National Fire Protection Agency

Question 17

What do NFPA do in the US?

Answer 17

The National Fire Protection Agency runs fire community preparedness days annually to help reduce fuels and educate communities

Question 18

How can wildfires be detected?

Answer 18

Using traditional manned lookout towers, which can be unreliable and require 24 hour surveillance, or more recently, computer based video analysis can automatically produce an alert

Question 19

What does the law state in California?

Answer 19

The residents must clear out all flammable materials such as bush or vegetation around 100ft of the property to create defensible space

Question 20

What does the law state in Scotland?

Answer 20

Any open fires but be kept under control and must not be lit in prolonged dry period in areas such as grasslands or forests

Question 21

What are the 3 things needed for fires to burn?

Answer 21

1) Heat
2) Fuel
3) Oxygen