What
are the three leading causes of wildfires in Tennessee?
1. Arson
2. Escaped debris fires
3. Equipment use
How
many wildfires burn in Tennessee each year?
In 2001, during one of the worst fire seasons in several years, the
Division of Forestry suppressed 2,739 wildfires that burned 68,141 acres.
67 residences were lost, 1,400 residences were threatened or saved.
One Division of Forestry firefighter was killed. During the past 10
years, an average of 2,600 fires have burned 37,000 acres in Tennessee.
How
does the Division of Forestry fight wildfires?
The Division of Forestry maintains a network of fire fighting personnel
and equipment ready to respond to wildfires across Tennessee. In mountainous
East Tennessee, crews fight fire using hand tools, such as fire rakes,
shovels, and the Pulaski (an combination of an axe and mattock). In
Middle and West Tennessee, bulldozers can often construct firebreaks,
plowed lines two to ten feet down to mineral soil to prevent the fire
from spreading. Where wildfires are accessible by roads or fields, water
is sprayed on fires from engines. On larger, more difficult to control
wildfires, helicopters equipped with buckets are used to drop water
directly on the fire. Air tankers that use retardants to slow the spread
of the fire are also used.
When
is Tennessee’s fire season?
Because of the variations in weather, wildland fires can occur any time
during the year. However, Tennessee typically has a spring and fall
fire season. The spring fire season, prompted by warming weather, begins
about February 15 and ends near May 15th, when the forest has usually
"greened up" enough to prevent the rapid spread of forest
fires. Fall fire season begins around October 15, when the leaves begin
to fall, and usually ends December 15th due to shorter, cooler, wetter
days.
How
do I report a wildfire?
Call the emergency number for the Division of Forestry listed in the
front of your telephone book or call 911.
What
are the laws concerning wildfires in Tennessee?
From October 15 through May 15, anyone starting an open-air fire within
500 feet of a forest, grassland, or woodland must by law secure a burning
permit from the Division of Forestry. Permits are not required for burning
in closed containers, such as a metal barrel with a mesh screen cover.
Anyone needing to burn within an incorporated city should contact city
authorities about any local burning ordinances.
How
do I become a firefighter?
People interested in a job as a wildland firefighter must apply to the
agency they are interested in working for. Each agency (Bureau of Land
Management, National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Forestry, etc.)
has its own process for hiring employees. You may want to consider applying
to more than one agency. Many
agencies also hire a fair number of employees on a seasonal basis (generally
from March to November).
What
is fire's natural role in Tennessee’s ecosystems?
More than 100 years of excluding fire, combined with past land-use practices,
have altered Tennessee’s landscape. This has resulted in changes
such as a heavy buildup of dead vegetation, dense stands of trees, a
shift to species that are not adapted to fire, and, occasionally, even
an increase in non-native fire-prone plants. Because of these conditions,
today's fires tend to be larger, burn hotter, and spread farther and
faster, making them more severe, more dangerous, and more costly in
human, economic, and ecologic terms.
What
is a "prescribed" fire?
A prescribed fire is any fire intentionally ignited to meet specific
land management objectives (i.e., to reduce flammable fuels, such as
the accumulation of brush, logs, etc. on forest floors; or to help restore
ecosystem health). Prescribed fires are preplanned ignitions, with predetermined
boundaries. They are conducted only under certain weather conditions
(i.e., during periods of low wind) when flame length and heat can be
controlled. Benefits from the use of prescribed fire include:
What
is the relationship between fire and air quality?
Wildland fires occur naturally and are one of the many natural sources
of particulate matter (tiny particles such as dust, soot, etc.) Particulate
matter is the main pollutant of concern from smoke because it can cause
serious health problems. Smoke can also adversely affect the clarity
(visual range) of our air. Wildland fire is also part of the natural
ecological process of many ecosystems. Without wildland fires the ecological
health of many forests, rangelands and wilderness areas will decline.
How
does wildfire affect wildlife?
Tennessee’s wildlife has become adapted to live with occasional
wildfires over the years. Usually, animals can move out of the way of
a slow-moving fire (such as a prescribed or controlled fire). In fact,
prescribed fire is often used to improve the quality and quantity of
wildlife habitat. A mosaic of burned and unburned areas tends to maximize
edge effect that produces a large and varied wildlife population. Wildlife
benefits from burning include: stimulation of fruit and seed production;
increases in yield and quality of herbage, legumes and browse from hardwood
sprouts; and creations of openings for feeding, dusting and travel.
How
does the Division of Forestry protect homes from wildfires?
Division employees work in tandem with the state’s municipal and
volunteer fire departments to protect forest resources as well as the
homes and other structures in the path of wildfire. As growth has occurred
in Tennessee’s rural and wildland areas, difficulty for fighting
wildfires in these communities has increased significantly. Risks to
homes, property, and human safety are rapidly becoming a major focal
point for homeowners, firefighters, and policy makers.
What
is the wildland urban interface?
Areas where homes meet the wildlands are called the wildland/urban
interface. Flammable forest fuels often surround homes located
in the woods. Following
a few safety tips can minimize the threat to homes:
When
is fire prevention week and why was it designated?
The history of Fire Prevention Week has its roots in the Great Chicago
Fire, which began on October 8 but continued into and did most damage
on October 9, 1871. In just 27 hours, this tragic conflagration killed
more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400
structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.
While the
Great Chicago Fire was the best-known blaze to erupt during this fiery
two-day stretch, it wasn't the biggest. That distinction goes to the
Peshtigo Fire, the most devastating forest fire in American history.
The fire roared through Northeast Wisconsin, burning down 16 towns,
killing 1200 people, and scorching 1.2 million acres before it was done.
Historical
accounts of the fire say that the blaze began when several railroad
workers clearing land for tracks unintentionally started a brush fire.
Before long, the fast-moving flames were whipping through the area "like
a tornado," survivors said. It was the small town of Peshtigo,
Wisconsin that suffered the worst damage. Within an hour, the entire
town had been destroyed, and some 800 residents lost their lives.
In 1920,
President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day
proclamation, and since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been
observed on the Sunday-through-Saturday period in which October 9 falls.
In addition, the President of the United States has signed a proclamation
pronouncing a national observance during that week every year since
1925. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has officially
sponsored Fire Prevention Week since the observance was first established.