 Geologists do
much of their field work at the peak of fire season. Chances are
you'll only ever see a wildfire from a distance, though you should
be
informed about the fire risk in your field area before going out
there.
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Things to watch for
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High fire risk as posted by
the authorities. (Campfire restrictions may be a clue.)
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Fire weather (dry
conditions/drought, hot weather, high winds, lightning, etc).
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High fuel quantity such as
thick undergrowth in a region that hasn't burned for years (adjacent
photo).
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Existing wildfires in your
surrounding area. (Get DAILY updates.)
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© 2003 Reuben Johnson |
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Controlled burns in your
area (Forest Service burns, agricultural fires, etc.).
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Illegal burning in your
area (trash, etc.).
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Smokers on
your field crew.
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Unexplained smoke or the
smell thereof.
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Off-road driving in dry brush (see the True Story
below).
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© 2001 Reuben Johnson |
Lightning Ignition Efficiency
The map displays up-to-date information on the probability
of a wildfire being ignited by lightning based on various factors such as
weather conditions and fuel type.
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 |
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True Story: On a field
exercise during the summer of 2000, a graduate student and I were working
a region in Wyoming bordering on a wildfire about 50 miles to the south
that had been burning for several days. We were scouting a desert
area on public land which required several miles of off-road driving. As
the 4x4 slowly crawled along we noted how the smoke from the distant fire
seemed especially strong that day. Little did we realize the truck's
undercarriage hade become choked with dry brush that had then been ignited
by the vehicle's hot catalytic converter.
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we had nothing but our hands and leather work gloves with which we
pulled the burning brush from the truck and smothered it |
Once we discovered the fire, we had a very difficult time putting it out.
The wind was blowing at 20 to 30 mph, the truck did NOT have a fire
extinguisher, the surrounding brush was very dry and just waiting to
ignite, and we couldn't pour our drinking water up into the undercarriage.
In essence, we had nothing but our hands and leather work gloves with which we
pulled the burning brush from the truck and smothered it. |
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Chance was with us on that day. We managed to save the truck and
avoid starting a major fire in spite of the miles we drove while
presumably dropping embers, our unpreparedness, and the harassing weather.
Clearly, things could have easily gotten out of hand as a result of our
poor
outdoorsmanship and
off-road driving. |
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