JCPL Teens

The Wallow Fire in Arizona is still burning across the state and threatening New Mexico as well.  While forest fires are not always good, sometimes they can have a positive impact on the environment. Prescribed, or planned, fires can help minimize the risk of a more severe wildfire by clearing out dead brush or thick undergrowth.   What has made the Arizona fire so hard to fight?  There are a few factors, high winds, rough and steep terrain and drought conditions in the area.

How does one go about fighting forest fires?  For a fire to spread it needs three elements: heat, fuel and oxygen.  This is known as the fire triangle.  Fires are stopped by removing one of these key elements.  Fire lines are created by removing fuel (brush and grasses). Another method can be to drop things on the fire like water bombs (water collected by large planes) or through the application of foam.  Foam is used to cool the fire and to coat the fuel, preventing its contact with oxygen.  The foams lower the surface tension of the water which assists in the wetting and saturation of fuels with water.

Want to know more?

Check out these interesting websites:

United States Forest Service

Smokey the Bear

Ontario Forest Fire Emergency Services