Daniel Rack

1
Forest Fires!!!

• By
• Daniel Rack

2
Facts of the Forest

• The forest covers more than 1/3 of the Earths
  surface
• People of the world rely on the forest for its
  trees for fuel, food, raw materials and medicine
• Without the forest, there would be no us

3
Facts about Fire
  Wildfire consumes on average over 4,083,347
acres in the US alone.   Each year, fire kills
more Americans than all natural disasters
combined.   Wildfire increases as more homes
are built in and around forested areas.
  Between 1985-2000 wildfires burned 10,000
homes, according to the National Interagency Fire
Center. In 2000, at least 860 structures, mostly
family homes, were destroyed in fires.
4
Fire Prevention
5
Forest Fire Danger in America
6
US ACRES BURNED YEARLY
Year Fires Acres
1994 114,049 4,724,014
1995 130,019 2,315,730
1996 115,025 6,701,390
1997 89,517 3,372,616
1998 81,043 2,329,709
1999 93,702 5,661,976
2000 122,827 8,422,237
2001 84,079 3,555,138
2002 88,458 7,182,979
2003 57,578 3,815,757
7
Tracked vehicles with plows for clearing
vegetation and mechanized equipment can build
fire line faster and more efficiently than human
firefighters. Some vehicles also carry water to
douse wildfires and equipment to burn out.
These large planes, fitted with tanks, provide
direct support to firefighters on the ground by
dropping up to several thousand gallons of water
or chemical retardant ahead of an advancing
wildfire.
Fighting Fire
8
Reasons for the Current increase of Forest Fires
.   Past fire suppression policies, including one of "total suppression," which allowed for the accumulation of fuel in the form fallen leaves, branches, and excessive plant overgrowth in forest and wildland areas    
.   Increasingly dry, hot weather.    
.   Changing weather patterns across the US.    
.   Increased residental development in the wildland/urban interface.
9
The Three types of Wild Fires

• Surface Fires- Stick to light fuels, and present
  little danger
• Crown Fires- Burn in the upper sections of trees,
  usually a result of ground fires
• Ground Fires- Intense Blaze that destroys
  anything living, and burns anything flammable

10
Forest Fire Prevention Links

• http//www.wwfus.org/forestfires/fire_facts.htm
• http//www.nifc.gov/firemaps.html
• http//www.smokeybear.com/frontline.asp
• http//www.forestinfo.org/Discover/wildfire.htm