11 Facts About Wildfires

1. A wildfire, also known as a forest fire or peat fire, is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildareas, but which can also destroy houses or agricultural resources.
2. When dealing with different kinds of wildfire, firefighters refer to them as types of fires: surface fires, dependent crown fires, running crown fires, spot fires and ground fires.
3. Running crown fires are a firefighter’s worst nightmare because they burn extremely hot, travel rapidly and can change direction quickly.
4. The most dangerous aspect of running crown fires are the convection currents which produce massive firestorms and tornadoes that can send embers well ahead of the main fire front, causing spot fires that in turn can start new fires in another direction.
5. Weather conditions can directly contribute to the occurrence of wildfires such as through lightning strikes, or indirectly such as by an extended dry spell or drought that contributes to the availability of fuel.
6. Another cause of wildfires is the buildup of grass, leaves and twigs in a pile. This accumulation of dead matter can create heat, enough in some instances to spontaneously combust and ignite the surrounding area.
7. Lightning strikes the Earth over 100,000 times a day. Of these, 10-20% cause a fire.
8. Man-made causes such as arson or plain carelessness (like smoking in forested areas or improperly extinguishing campfires) by individuals is the biggest cause of wildfires in the U.S.
9. More than four out of every five wildfires are caused by people.
10. An average of 1.2 million acres of U.S. woodland burn every year.
11. A large wildfire, or conflagration, is often capable of modifying the local weather conditions or producing “its own weather".

Sources:

Virginia Department of Forestry

Haines Index to Hotspot

Weather.com