Wildfire
| This section is currently in development. |
Fire is a fundamental process in southern ecosystems. Wildfires are uncontrolled fires in forests, grasslands, and scrublands. They are often caused by lightning, but can also be caused by human carelessness and arson.
Fire in Todays South: Many of the South’s primary ecosystems, including its once vast longleaf pine forests, are adapted to fires occurring frequently and extensively.
Wildfire Mitigation: Decreasing the incidence of wildfires and problems caused by them requires risk assessment, risk reduction, and prevention of unwanted fires.
Fire Control and Suppression: Fire control and suppression operations include pre-season preparations, planning, organization, tactics and strategies, initial attack, extended attack, ground control, aerial control, mop up, communications, and firefighter safety.
Wildland Fire Rehabilitation and Restoration: Wildfire rehabilitation is the emergency measures taken to mitigate potential increases in runoff and erosion that can occur immediately after a wildfire. Efforts are often made to protect valuable resources, such as water quality, fragile habitat, houses, roads, and bridges, from the increased risk of flooding, debris flows, and sedimentation.
Fire Control History: The history of fire control in the United States begins in the 1800s and continues to develop in the 21st century.
Current Federal Policy’s Impact On Fire Suppression And Control In The South: Numerous federal mandates -- including laws governing wilderness areas, ecosystems, and endangered species -- create special challenges to fire control and suppression.
Current issues related to the Souths urbanizing landscape: Lessons learned from large fires in various parts of the U.S. from the 1980s to the 2000s have resulted in the development of complex new requirements for managing wildfire in the nation’s urbanizing landscape.
Wildfire Occurrence in the Southern States
Encyclopedia ID: p141
