{"id":6009,"date":"2023-01-25T07:01:59","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T15:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfca.com\/?p=6009"},"modified":"2024-04-24T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T21:30:00","slug":"wildfire-facts-for-kid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfca.com\/wildfire-articles\/wildfire-facts-for-kid\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Wildfire Facts for Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know fires move faster when traveling uphill? Explore these interesting wildfire facts for kids from the experts at the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that starts burning in wildland<\/strong>, such as a forest, grassland, or the edge of an urban area. Firefighters focus on protecting human lives, structures, and resources when they battle wildfires.1<\/a><\/sup> Learn some wild facts about wildfires and remember: always be careful with fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact #1<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Humans cause 89% of annual wildfires.2<\/sup><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most wildfires are caused<\/a> by humans and can result from many kinds of activities. For example, a stray ember from a campfire can spark a blaze, or a spark from a car engine can ignite dry grass. Not all human-caused fires are accidental. Starting a fire on purpose, to hurt the environment<\/a>, buildings, or people, is called arson<\/strong>. Arson is against the law and can have terrible consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, firefighters will very carefully light fires on purpose in order to clear overgrown plants <\/a>and help nature thrive.3<\/sup> However, these burns are handled by professionals in controlled conditions. A wildfire, on the other hand, is unplanned and extremely dangerous. Even if fires start small, it is difficult to predict if they will become large, destructive wildfires that threaten human lives and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact #2<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You need three things for a fire to start: heat, oxygen, and a fuel source.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Firefighters call heat, air, and fuel the fire triangle<\/strong>. These three things combined can create ignition and start a fire.4<\/sup> Sources of heat can be cigarettes, a spark from a campfire or a gas-powered tool like a chainsaw, or even the sun. Fuel can be the dry wood you use to make a campfire, or it can be plants and grasses. Dry weather, especially droughts<\/a>, and windy days make wildfires more likely and more dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact #3<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wildfires move at an average of 14 miles per hour.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The speed of a wildfire<\/a> varies depending on the terrain, the type of fuel available, and weather conditions.5<\/sup> Rising smoke and heat can dry out fuel further up the slope of a hill, so fire burns more quickly uphill. Wildfires can also quickly get out of control when flames move from the ground to the tops of trees<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact #4<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wildfires can happen anywhere in the United States.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wildfires happen more frequently in the central U.S. and on the East Coast, but wildfires that happen in the Western states (Alaska<\/a>, Arizona<\/a>, California<\/a>, Colorado<\/a>, Idaho<\/a>, Montana<\/a>, New Mexico<\/a>, Nevada<\/a>, Oregon<\/a>, Utah<\/a>, Washington<\/a>, and Wyoming<\/a>) are larger. Many Western state fires happen in undeveloped areas and tend to burn more acres than wildfires in other parts of the U.S.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact #5<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wildfires burn 5-10 million acres in the United States every year.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the U.S., there has been a 223% increase in the amount of land burned by wildfires annually since 1983, when official wildfire record-keeping began. Wildfires in 1983 burned 1.3 million acres of land; in 2021, there were 7.1 million acres burned by wildfires<\/a>.6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact #6<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lightning is the biggest natural cause of wildfires.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are two types of lightning: cold and hot. Cold lightning<\/strong> has an intense electrical current but does not last very long and rarely starts fires. Hot lighting<\/strong> has a weaker electrical current, but the bolt of lightning stays for a longer period of time. These longer-lasting bolts can cause wildfires.7 <\/sup>Even though humans cause most wildfires, fires started by lightning are usually larger and burn more land.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Firefighters work around the clock to help to protect communities from all kinds of emergencies. It is important to listen to fire service members – whether it is during a fire, a medical event, or even during a visit to your school to discuss fire safety. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fact #7<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wildfires can take many shapes\u2014even tornados!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wildfires move, spread, and grow in several different ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n