Firefighters risk their lives daily, but when battling a wildfire, the chances of their being hurt (or worse) increases significantly. In these cases, firefighters must be alert and have good communication with their teams. Teamwork is of utmost importance.

A wildfire is a large, destructive, expansive fire. Wildfires usually begin outdoors where there is lots of grass, woods, brush, plants and decayed vegetation. These are combustible and act as fuel for the fires.

Wildfires start in various ways. The most common natural cause is, lightning, but many wildfires occur because of human error. Discarded cigarettes, sparks from faulty equipment, and burning debris or unattended camp fires often cause wildfires. Arson is another common cause of wildfires.

Wildfires spread rapidly. They move as fast as 6.7 miles per hour in forests and 22 miles per hour in grasslands. Heat waves, droughts and high pressure ridges can increase the risk and severity of wildfires. Additionally, the amount of fuels play a factor in how fast and far a wildfire grows.

Fighting Wildfires

Firefighters have to know how big the wildfire is, what is burning, what is nearby, and what the plan is to stop the fire. They must know where the fireline will be. The fireline is the point where the fire can be contained until it is put out. These include bodies of water (lakes, ponds, rivers, etc.) and roads. Eighteen to twenty firefighters work to remove anything that can fuel the fire and cause it to keep growing.

Once the fireline is built, firefighters work to locate hotspots, which are fuels that are still smoldering and at risk of rekindling into another fire.

Nowadays firefighters use the latest in high-tech firefighting equipment alongside tried-and-true firefighting tools to fight wildfires. Airtankers, the Wildland fire engine the Pulaski axe with an adze, shovels, helicopters, fire shelters, protective gear and fire rakes are all put to use in various degrees depending on the individual fire.