Dry, windy conditions fueled destructive wildfires in Texas, Florida and other states in 2022. Understanding these terms can help people prepare.
Wildfires fueled by dry, windy conditions have destroyed dozens of homes in Texas and threatened hundreds of others there and in Oklahoma and Florida this March. They’re a sharp reminder to be prepared for what forecasters warn is likely to be a risky spring for wildfires, particularly in the southern Plains and Southwest.
Getting 100% containment is the goal, but it takes some time to get there, and a wildfire is a moving target. Red flag warningA red flag warning means weather conditions are expected that would raise the risk of dangerous wildfires spreading. It can be dead fuel or live fuel. The threat posed by live fuels also varies by region. In the Western U.S., grasses are typically available to burn only once they go dormant and dry out. In the Southeast, however, live fuels like palmetto and grasses will still burn quite readily because of their volatile oils.
Prescribed burnsPrescribed fires are similar to backfires, but they’re used well before a wildfire can start. Prescribed fires are intentionally lit under conditions considered safe, such as when winds are low and it’s not too dry. Like backfires, they are used to clear away excess fuel. In the Florida Panhandle fires in March 2022, for example, three fires were burning in a relatively close area, but the same fire teams were involved, so they opted to manage it as a complex. Similarly, a group of Texas fires later that month were named the Eastland Complex.
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