How Do Wildfires Start & What Can You Do About Them?
There are a number of natural causes that can turn the wild into a raging inferno, with everyone else racing for safety. If you’re thinking of how wildfires start, then we have the right resource for you.
All the lightning, volcanoes, and extreme heat can cause fires in the wild. However, nature alone cannot be blamed for wildfires because there are a number of factors at play behind the scenes, which need to be considered in their entirety.
In this article, we take a look at how wildfires start and what can be done about them. We mention clear directions on what homeowners living on the path of a wildfire can do to limit the damages from impacting them and straying clear of its path.
How Wildfires Start
A number of factors can cause wildfires, and we study 5 of them below:
Burning Debris
Burning debris is one of the most common factors responsible for causing a wildfire. A lot of people go on trips to the wild and burn woods and other debris for a bonfire in the night. As fun as this can be, the ashes from the burnt debris can pose a fire risk in the open. There is a certain responsibility that falls on your shoulder here, and you should abide by it at all means.
Engine Sparks
The introduction and the widespread adoption of the combustion engine have been hailed as progressive by humanity but can have a debilitating impact on the environment around us. The sparks from your machine can be the cause of a fire in the wild, as these sparks are fully capable of burning wood and leading to other problems.
You should be careful while driving a truck or any other vehicle in the woods. A small wildfire started by fire from an engine spark can grow in size and cause great harm.
Lit Cigarettes
Lit cigarettes are considered to be a common cause behind how wildfires start in the wild. You can easily flick cigarettes out of sight as you walk up ahead with the rest of your group. The burnt cigarette can attract timber and dead leaves to catch fire and turn it into a raging inferno anytime soon.
Smokers should be careful when out into the wild so that they don’t attract fires with their burnt smokes or with the ashes they are flicking out into the air. All of your cigarettes, tobacco, and cigars should appropriately be squished into the ground so that you put an end to the fire hazard you have initiated.
Unsupervised Activities
Little kids should always be monitored in the wild. It may not seem like a big deal to many parents, but they should keep an eye on their kids so that they don’t light up matches alone and start something as dreadful as a wildfire.
Unattended Campfires
As we had mentioned earlier in the article, unattended campfires can also be a reason for fires in the wild. Once you initiate a campfire, you should make sure that you are present to squish the wildfire and ensure that every little bit of it is burnt to the ground. You cannot let the fire go on for long without proper steps to stop the fire from becoming big.
What you can and should do in a Wildfire
Wildfires can disrupt and devastate almost anything in their path, which is why you should also be careful in your path. Some of the tips you should follow here include:
Before:
- After you know a wildfire is traveling towards you, the best thing to do is to leave and move somewhere safe immediately.
- It is best that you prepare for such fires in advance, especially if you live in areas that are prone to fires.
- Put away all flammable materials present inside your home.
- Close all windows and fill all of your tubs, buckets, and water containers with water.
- Shut off fuel supplies, including natural.
- Wet your roof with water.
During:
- If you can leave, you should leave
- Listen to all emergency alerts that are true to your region.
- Stay inside if it is too late to leave. Enter a spot in your room with the lowest smoke levels.
- If you are stuck outside, cover yourself with wet soil and rest under it.
After:
- Do not return to your home until you have been asked to do
- Listen to what authorities have to say before you can consume water or any other commodity from the area.
- Avoid touching and being near all items that are smoky, charred, or hot in general.
- Get in touch with friends and family and ask them just how they are doing.
- Wear a dust mask and find out more about your property damage.
Smoke cleanup can be an extensive process if you don’t have the right team available. 911 Restoration of West Wyoming is just a call away for you! You can get in touch with us to perform a thorough inspection of your home and clear it up for future use.
