There are three types of fires that can threaten both our property and natural resources in the Puget Sound region - structure fires, forest fires and wildland/urban interface fires.
Structure Fires: Not typically a large-scale emergency except when the fire can potentially spread to adjoining structures.
Forest Fires: The uncontrolled destruction of forested lands caused by natural or human-made wildfire. An average of about 900 fires burn 6,500 acres annually with a resource loss of more than $2 million in Washington State .
The probability of a wildfire in any one locality on a particular day depends on fuel conditions, topography, the time of year, wind direction and speed, the past and present weather conditions, and the activities (debris burning, land clearing, camping, etc.) that are or will be taking place.
Controlled burns are conducted because the fire cycle is an important aspect of management for many ecosystems. These are not considered hazards unless they were to get out of control.
Wildland / Urban Interface Fires: Fires that occur where "combustible vegetation meets combustible structures" and therefore combine the hazards associated with both forest and structure fires. These types of fires have increased dramatically in the last two decades as more and more people move to rural areas. Between 1970 and 1980 the rural population of the United States increased 23.4 percent, more than twice the gain of 11.4 percent for the nation as a whole. The hazard is bi-directional: wild fires can burn homes, and home fires can burn wildlands.
These types of fires are increasing as more vacation homes are built, and improved transportation systems allow more people to live outside city centers. The longer response times for these out-of-the-way locations gives the fire more time to get out of control, making these fires very difficult to fight.
Most firefighters are trained to fight either wildfires or structure fires. Interface fires require both skills, and it is very difficult to balance the two. When a wildfire breaks out, the threat of extreme property and casualty losses often forces firefighters to focus their efforts on protecting homes and structures, sometimes at the expense of protecting wildland resources or working to slow the fire itself.
Vulnerability
Structure Fires: In addition to typical causes, structure fires are a potential secondary hazard of earthquakes and riots. One study estimated that 80-100 fires would occur from a large earthquake in the Seattle area. Building codes requiring fire detectors and sprinkler systems are in effect for most large structures, therefore reducing some vulnerability.
Forest Fires: Central Puget Sound's climate includes dry summer months during which the area is susceptible to fires. The season for wildland fires usually runs from mid-May through October. However, any prolonged period lacking precipitation presents a potentially dangerous problem. For example, a winter wildland fire that occurred in January 1995 in the Cumberland area.
Interface Fires: Central Puget Sound is becoming more vulnerable to the effects of wildland/urban interface fires due to increased building, living and recreating in forested areas.
Source: King County Office of Emergency Management
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