Basics of Wildfires
A wildfire can be described as an open fire that spreads unconstrained through the environment. If not quickly controlled, the result can be a firestorm, which destroys large amounts of property and threatens lives. Since prehistoric times, wildfires have been a natural force in shaping and changing the landscape.
Wildfire behavior and spread are affected by three major factors: fuels, weather, and topography. The fuel component consists of grasses, brush, trees, and accumulations of dead vegetation, homes, outbuildings, businesses, and other valuable improvements. There is an enlarged threat of public injury and property loss from wildfires in areas where inhabited developments are closely mixed with natural fuels. The weather also affects the behavior of wildfires through droughts, low humidity, high temperatures and windy conditions. Drought conditions make natural fuels more fire-prone. In Georgia, late March, April and October are the peak months for wildfires. Extended drought during the decade of the 1980s caused the summer months in Georgia to have a higher incidence of wildfires than normal. The third major factor of wildfire behavior is topography, which shapes a fire's spread. For example, hollows, canyons, and gullies channel winds, which can spread wildfires quickly and uncontrollably. Besides fuels, weather, and topography, all that a wildfire needs is a source of ignition, which can be provided by lightning, a careless smoker, an untended campfire, an uncontrolled burn, or other sources.