THE FIRE ENVIRONMENT:

Firefighters recognize three components of the fire environment: weather, topography, and fuel. These affect the likelihood of a fire start, the speed and direction in which a wildfire will travel, the intensity at which a wildfire burns, and the ability to control and extinguish a wildfire. Though weather and topography can't be changed, the fuels (vegetation) can be modified. Consequently, many of our opportunities to reduce wildfire threat lie in proper management and manipulation of wildland vegetation.

WEATHER:  Dry, hot, windy weather increases the likelihood of a major wildfire. These conditions make ignition easier, allow fuels to burn more rapidly, and increase fire intensity. High winds, especially, can transform a small and easily controllable fire into a catastrophic event in a matter of minutes.

TOPOGRAPHY:  Of topographic features, steepness of slope will most influence fire behavior. As the steepness of slope increases, the fire spreads more quickly. Other important features include aspect (south and southwest slopes usually have more fires) and steep, narrow drainages (chimneys), which can significantly increase the rate of spread.

FUELS:  Fuel is required for any fire to burn. With wildfires, fuels almost always consist of living vegetation (trees, shrubs, grass, wildflowers) and dead plant material (dead trees, dried grass, fallen branches, pine needles). Homes in a wildfire also become a source of fuel. The amount, size, moisture content, arrangement, and other fuel characteristics influence the ease of ignition, rate of spread, length of flames, and other fire behavior.

THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT:  When people are lving in high-hazard fire environments, the human-built environment becomes an important factor in predicting the loss of life and property. Untreated wood shake and shingle roofs, narrow roads, limited access, lack of fire-wise landscaping, inadequte water supplies, and poorly planned subdivisions are examples of increased risk to people living with the threat of wildfire.

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