Western Wildfires

wildfire fighters In an average year, there are just over 58,000 wildfires in the United States. So far this year there have been more than 70,000 fires — 20% more — and 67 % more acres have burned. Through most of August and into the first week of September (1999), hundreds of major wildfires raged uncontrolled in 5 Western states: California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Texas. Of the 14 major fires burning, 8 were contained by September 1st thanks to cooler temperatures and higher humidity. On Sunday, September 5th, crews were close to having the largest of California's major fires contained. The Willow blaze, 75 miles east of Los Angeles near the resort town of Lake Arrowhead, burned 53,000 acres and destroyed over a dozen homes.

It takes quite an army of personnel to suppress fires that threaten public and private lands, especially during the late-summer fire season . More than 10,000 firefighters are supported by 643 engines, 89 helicopters, 15 air tankers and 1,387 support personnel, who manage the resources on the fire lines. In this online lesson you will learn about fire fighters and the special strategies they use to battle wildland blazes.

Fire Terms and Definitions

To help you better understand the special fire-related terms you will read in this lesson, begin by studying the Fire Terms and Definitions found on Utah's Bureau of Land Management site. The terms are organized by topic, so click a picture or the list of terms below each picture to learn more. For example, click Helicopters to learn about the use of helicopters in fighting wildland fires. Pay special attention to the Strategy "Lingo" link, which explains in detail the language firefighters use to talk about fires. What is an Initial Attack? When are Red Flag Warnings issued?

Read all five definitions groups, and then click the Alphabetical Listing link to read a complete list of quick definitions from A to Z. Refer back to this page as you're reading the lesson whenever you come across a word or phrase you're not sure about.

Firehouse.com

lone firefighter If you want the most up-to-date information about fires, turn to the Wildfires page at Firehouse.com magazine. They maintain a list of news agency headlines related to wildfires, both in the US and internationally. The stories are great, but the pictures are even better. Click on some of the headlines that interest you and quickly browse the stories.

smoke jumper Another good magazine for wildfire fighters is Static Line from the National Smokejumper Association. Static Line is published four times a year for association members, but some of their best feature articles are available online. Read the feature on Women Jumpers, or other features that may interest you. Visit the Photos page for an up-close look at this demanding career. There's also an excellent History of smokejumping. Start with the Background and go page-by-page through this fascinating history.

National Interagency Fire Center

For the very latest information about wildland fires in the US, point your browser to the National Interagency Fire Center. Start at the Current Wildland Fire Information link. NIFC Here you can get news and updates, including a link to the Fire Weather Outlook, a special weather forecast by the National Weather Service.

Fire information in your region is available when you click the Geographic Area Coordination Centers link. Choose a region on the map to go to the fire coordination center in that area. From there the sites are all different, so you'll have fun exploring the various bits of information found at each.

DuPont

building the line If you want to learn about the special clothing and equipment used by smokejumpers and other wildfire fighters, visit the DuPont site and read an article from their corporate magazine entitled "Out of the Flying Plane, Into the Fire." DuPont makes Kevlar®, Nomex®, and Cordura® — materials used to make the protective clothing and gear firefighters rely on. After you read the article, click these product links to learn about each of them.

Line of Fire

let it burn One final hotspot in this online wildfire lesson is the Discovery Channel Online special feature Line of Fire: New Respect for an Old Enemy. Once there, you can explore several links. Click You're on the Hot Seat to try your hand at a simulated firefighting game. See if you can figure out the best way to handle a virtual forest fire of your own choosing. Also, take the Pretty Poll to learn how fire and logging play a part in creating your ideal woods. Don't miss Smokejumper Stories, exciting real-life adventures told by the men and women on the front lines.

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