Growing Pains. How Can Alabama Be Wildfire Wise?

Transcription

1 Growing Pains How Can Alabama Be Wildfire Wise?

2 Overview Does Alabama Have Wildfires? Are Wildfires Running Wild? Does Fire Behave Badly? Wildfire Waiting To Happen? Fighting Fire With Fire? What Can I Do? Summary

3 Does Alabama Have Wildfires? More fires in Alabama than anywhere in USA How can we be wildfire wise? Photo Credit: Ashley Young

4 Are Wildfires Running Wild? Small, regular fires Natural Maintain When all fire is removed, fuels build up Photo Credits: Ashley Young

5 Are Wildfires Running Wild? Wildfires Natural or man-made Destructive Most not serious threat in AL Dangerous where people live close to forests Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Photo Credit: Ashley Young

6 Are Wildfires Running Wild? Alabama Forestry Commission Maps of current fires

7 Are Wildfires Running Wild? Activity I Explore the Alabama Forestry Commission Website Write a quick report on assigned county including Fire Occurrence Area Map Number of fires today, yesterday, this week, this month, and this year

8 Does Fire Behave Badly? Some conditions make wildfires more likely Three factors Weather Topography Fuels Image Credits: Top- Clip Art Bottom- Amber Dunn

9 Does Fire Behave Badly? Weather These conditions increase risk of wildfire High temperatures Drought High wind Instability in atmosphere Photo Credit: istockphotos.com

10 Does Fire Behave Badly? Topography Wildfires move more quickly Up steep slopes On south facing slopes Photo Credit: Amber Dunn

11 Does Fire Behave Badly? Fuels Wildfires spread faster and more intense when Fuels clumped together High amount of small fuels Ladder fuels build up Waxy plants Photo Credit: Ashley Young

12 Does Fire Behave Badly? Activity II Will this condition allow wildfires to spread more or less easily?

13 Steep slopes allow wildfires to move faster (more easily)! Photo Credit: Amber Dunn

14 Fuels like this allow wildfires to move more easily! Photo Credit: Ashley Young

15 Moist fuels like this one make wildfires move less easily! Photo Credit: Amber Dunn

16 Conifers usually allow fire to burn more easily than hardwood trees do! Photo Credit: Ashley Young

17 Does Fire Behave Badly? Activity II (continued) Play the game Living with Fire

18 Wildfire Waiting To Happen? People were scared of wildfire Began to control all fire But ladder fuels began to accumulate Non-native species replaced native species New species not firetolerant Photo Credits: Ashley Young

19 Wildfire Waiting To Happen? Wildfires are often manmade and accidental Examples Throwing cigarettes out of car windows Leaving grills unattended Firefighters brave danger to control these fires Best way to fight fires is to change landscape back to native conditions Photo Credits: Ashley Young

20 Wildfire Waiting To Happen? Activity III Volunteers Spark! Firefighters! Trees! Who won? Is this realistic?

21 Fighting Fire with Fire? Can t control weather or topography CAN control FUELS! Plant native fire-tolerant species Practice prescribed burning! Planned to manage landscape Managed by experts (burn managers) Decreases fuels and risk of destructive wildfires Photo Credit: Ashley Young

22 Fighting Fire with Fire? Image Credit: Amber Dunn

23 Fighting Fire with Fire? Activity IV Make your own prescribed fire from pipe cleaners, craft pom poms, and markers! Be sure to include all the parts and label them!

24 What Can I Do? Be alert and responsible Never start fires by yourself Never leave fires unattended Report fires if you see them Check for burn bans, fire weather watches, and red flag warnings before your family starts any fires Photo Credit: istockphotos.com Photo Credit: Ashley Young

25 What Can I Do? Make your home Firewise! Defensible space at least 30 feet Clear everything at least 3-5 feet from house Clear out and close off crawl space and under porch Clean gutters and roofs regularly Pick up dead branches, rake leaves, and mow regularly Remove any shrubs under trees (these act like ladder fuels) Space trees so that crowns are feet apart Prune trees and shrubs regularly Keep tree limbs at least 6-10 feet off the ground Water your plants so they do not dry out Store fuels at least 30 feet away from your house

26 What Can I Do? Activity V Write instructions for making your home Firewise Include overhead sketch Share your plan with the class Share your plan with your parents at home

27 Summary? Changes in environment make wildfires more likely Certain conditions (of fuel, weather, and topography) allow wildfires to spread more easily Naturally occurring, small, regular fires and prescribed fires remove fuels and reduce risk of wildfires Keep Alabama wildfire wise by staying alert to wildfires, being responsible when setting fires (example: barbecuing), and creating a defensible space around your home

28 Questions?