Weather Explained: How do wildfires start and spread?

Every day there seems to be a new article of another wildfire travesty that is consuming trees, homes, and lives. The California fires are sweeping across the state, leaving no one safe from their devastation. Property, homes, and even lives have been taken in the past year alone. The Australia fires have killed at least two dozen people and about a billion animals. Nothing is safe in the country from  the inferno spread. The fight against these fires seems hopeless, insurmountable even. Firefighters do their best, but with fires as out of control as the Californian and Australian ones, there does not seem to The Australia fires have killed at least two dozen people and about a billion animals. Nothing is safe in the country from  the inferno spread. 

You may be wondering then how wildfires start, how they spread, and if anything is being done in the fiery battle that's making a much-needed difference? 

How do wildfires start?

The conditions do not have to be too crazy for a wildfire to start. Wildfires can start with something as random and unpredictable as a lightning strike hitting a tree. Even for a lightning strike, the conditions need to be right for the spark to really catch hold. A fire needs an igniter, some fuel, and strong wind.

Besides a random strike of lightning, forest fires can also be ignited by:

• Powerlines - When a powerline is hit, by some high winds or a car crashing into it, the lines break. As the lines are broken, there is usually some sort of large spark, enough to ignite a flame that can spread to the rest of the forest.

• Arson - Unfortunately, sometimes a forest fire can break out because someone purposely started it.  Several people were arrested in Australia for starting bush fires that got out of control, leading to the massive fires.

• Campfires - If a campfire is not put out correctly, or if it was made in a spot where it is illegal to start a campfire, the embers can be blown from the pit and onto a pile of dead vegetation.

• Cigarettes - Cigarettes starting wildfires are common enough that California has banned vaping and smoking in state beaches and parks to help lower the number of wildfires that have been started by a carelessly thrown cigarette butt.

• Other human-related causes - while we use the term wildfire, a lot of these fires are not started by random natural events, but the introduction of humans and our technologies into a forest setting.

As for the fuel, forest fires and other wildfires will really only be able to thrive in climates that are dry and arid or that have been in a drought. During a drought, the once lush vegetation is now dry kindling. If either of these conditions exists, an already dry climate or a forest starved for water, the blazing inferno will really catch hold and begin to spread. 

How do wildfires spread?

Wildfires need an ignition site and fuel to start, but how do they get to the level of burning millions of acres like the California and Australian fires? Air.

The last thing a spark needs to become the terrorizing wildfires we fear is wind. If you’ve ever made a fire at your campsite or in the comfort of your backyard with a fire pit, you know that blowing on the embers can strengthen your fire. The same is true in a wildfire. Wind will blow and spread the embers onto new piles of kindling until the whole forest is aflame. In addition to the wind, wildfires will burn better going uphill. The heat from the flames will warm the trees and other fuels, making them more readily available to burn as the fire steadily approaches. Once wildfires have wind to push them along and they are exposed to the right topography, the glowing red inferno will burn everything in its path from beautiful, centuries-old forests to inhabited residential areas. And it seems impossible to stop. 

Is there anything that can be done?

Firefighters are well equipped with weather satellite imagery that can help predict wildfire patterns by following smoke and small heat patterns. With updates, every minute, containing wildfires is easier and safer than it has ever been. Besides predicting the patterns of pre-existing fires, weather satellites can also help communities be proactive in stopping potential wildfires by tacking heat signals of small hazardous  fires. Even with all these new aids for the men and women risking their lives to stop wildfires, you still might be wondering what you can do to help those suffering. While you can’t go out to California, Australia, or anywhere else that is currently plagued with fires, there are still a few things you can do to help: 

1. Be safe in your fire practices. Don’t leave your campsite with the fire burning or the embers still hot. Bury your fire pit in the dirt until you can not feel the heat of the embers anymore. Don’t toss your used cigarettes or cigars either, no matter where you are. Even if it doesn’t look like a dead pile of grass is nearby, it is still a fire hazard.

2. Find a reputable charity and give money and/or donations to those who have been affected by the fires. Thousands of people have been displaced and lost nearly all of their belongings. Animals are starved for water and shelter. Give of what you can to help those who have had their lives changed forever by these wildfires.

3. Think about your day to day decisions. Climates change on a small scale to a worldwide scale (ex: the Ice Age) and right now, we are in the midst of a worldwide climate change. Temperatures are getting hotter and the air is getting dryer. Try to carpool and limit your use of single-use items. Choose to be kinder to the environment and travesties like the California fires can help be prevented and/or limited.

Fires like these are hard to stop, but they are easier to prevent. Tune in to your local weather station for updates on fire weather warnings. Secondly, make sure you know what your community is doing to help prevent these issues so that you can take an active part in stopping the next wildfire before it even begins. You should never try to stop the spread of a wildfire yourself. Your run-of-the-mill garden hose is no match from the fierce wall of flames inching closer to your property. If you see a wildfire, call 911 immediately. Fire crews can attack the wildfire spread from the air and from the ground. Remember to leave it to the fire professionals and heed all of their warnings.

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