wildfire hazards Flashcards
conditions favouring intense wildfires
vegetation type
fuel characteristics
climate and recent weather
fire behaviour
conditions - vegetation type
thick adn dense vegetation allows fire to spread quickly
vegetation with flammable oils
climate and recent weather
enough rainfall to ahve sufficient plant growth but considerable dry spells to dry out the furl
- dry seasons such as california
- santa ana winds
fire behaviour
spreads quickly on hills
fire can jump across rivers into areas due to lit debris
natural causes of wildfires
lightning
volcanoes
human causes of wildfires
cigarettes
barbeques
agriculture
trains
primary effects of wildfires
pollution
toxic gases
agricultural land damaged
costs
deaths
secondary effects of wildfires
migration of animals
greenhouse effect
cost of rebuilding
plane paths disrupted
homelessness
food shortage
health problems
international debt
prevention of wildfires
public awareness
- smokey bear US
preparedness for wildfires
- evacuation systems
- emergency service training
- warning systems
preparedness - warning systems wildfires
perfect conditions for wildfires are announced to allow evacutions and campfire bans
mitigation of wildfires
immediate response of extinguishing or diverting fire
logn term response of controlled burnings and fire breaks
- ensuring homes dont contribute to wildfire spread
adaptation to wildfires
insurance
fatalistic outlook
human causes for californian wildfires
homes built in canyons surrounded by fuel
triggered by power lines falling
acused deliberately
natrual causes of californian wildfires
drought in southern california and santa ana winds
midst of unusual drought
primary effects of californian wildfires
1m displaced
1800 homes destroyed
20000km2 land burnt
9 died
85 injured
secondary effects of californian wildfires
1.6$bn damage
air pollution 3x
tourist trade damaged
water pollution
crops destoryed
responses to californian wildfires
6k firefighters with 3k prisoners
arnold schwarzenegger declared state of emergency
president bush sent federal aid
