Updated: 01/13/00 12:49 |
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1999 Wildland Fire Season
Click
on images for larger charts of 10-year fire and acre statistics.
Fire is an important natural process and its value in enhancing the health of an ecosystem, cannot be overstated. Fire can reduce dense vegetation improving wildlife habitat and lessening the potential for large, disastrous wildfire. Land managers are directed to prepare a prescribed fire/burn plan for every acre of public land that can burn. Some areas require total suppression while others will benefit from a wildland fire. Those acres that will benefit from a fire can either be treated by a management ignited fire (prescribed fire) or a naturally ignited fire (wildland fire use) which is managed to achieve resource benefits under close supervision. Prescribed Fires and Acres Reported to NIFC as of December 30, 1999
Wildland Fire Use Fires and Acres Reported to NIFC as of December 30, 1999
Because the agencies at NIFC have developed such an efficient rapid response system, they are often asked to assist with other types of incidents throughout the nation and the world. Requests for domestic incidents will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while international assistance requests are facilitated through the State Department.
By working with land management agencies and local communities, prevention and education teams can raise the awareness of fire danger and help reduce the risk of human-caused fires when extreme burning conditions exist. Conditions in Florida, Minnesota and Montana/northern Idaho prompted land managers to request these teams as fire danger increased. Florida Minnesota Montana/Northern
Idaho
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Throughout the United States it is more and more common to see homes and other types of structures in wildland environments. This trend is creating an expansion of wildland/urban interface areas where structures are located next to large amounts of vegetation. Because of their location, these structures are extremely vulnerable to fire should a wildland fire occur in the surrounding area. In 1999, 817 structures (residences and outbuildings) were destroyed by wildland fires from 13 states. Nearly 750 of those structures were burned in nine fires in California. One particularly devastating event was the Jones fire near Redding, California, where 428 structures succumbed to the 26,000 acre blaze. There are resources available to homeowners in the wildland/urban interface to learn about keeping their property safe from wildland fires. The FireWise web site <www.firewise.org> provides information to protect your home from unnecessary loss to wildland fire. |