Wildfire Lookout Situations
2006 is already a record-breaking year for wildfires in the U.S. The numbers are on track to witness perhaps more than twice the 10-year average in terms of number of acres burned. The situation is more serious in the western states, but with the heat wave that has been affecting the rest of the nation, fires are a big hazard in many parts of the country.
There is much dry fuel ready to ignite. I just returned from a visit to the interior in British Columbia, where I saw enormous expanses of clear-cutting interspersed with the remnants of fires triggered by lightning. In addition, insects, mostly beetles, have cut huge swaths through the forests, so that as many trees are brown and dead as are green and alive. It is only a matter of time until raging fires clean out the deadwood in preparation for natural renewal or reforestation.
If you’re camping or traveling through fire country, be alert for the following high-risk conditions:
1. Drought conditions, including low humidity, high air temperature, and gusty winds
2. Areas rich with abundant fuel, such as dead grass, pine needles, shrubs, and dead and fallen trees
3. Travel through gullies or canyons, or along steep slopes where wind and fuel can rapidly advance a fire
4. Recent fires in the vicinity
5. A smoke-filled situation in which you cannot judge the location of a fire
6. Rugged terrain in fire-vulnerable country, so that escape would be difficult
Tags: wild fire, forest fire, outdoor medicine, wilderness medicine, healthline
photo by Paul Auerbach





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