The Science of Fire – PA Fire Weather Awareness Week

Let's continue Pennsylvania Fire Weather Awareness by talking a little bit about the science of wildfire and some statistics.

While wildfires can be dangerous when they spread rapidly, they can provide many benefits to our forests. Take some time to learn about how fire affects fire-dependent ecosystems from Smokey Bear by clicking here.

Looking at the data from DCNR’s reported wildfires here in Pennsylvania humans have caused 98.9% of all wildfires here since 2002. Lightning only causes 1.1% of them.

So, what causes wildfires then? It’s a simple equation of a spark added to fuel and oxygen. Then weather conditions can multiply the fire’s activity. To learn more about the elements of fire, click here.

What about prescribed burns? Well, to reduce catastrophic damage from wildfires local fire experts will complete prescribed burns under specified weather conditions to help restore health to our ecosystems. To learn more about them from Smokey Bear, click here.

Be sure to check back in the rest of this week for more beneficial information before we get well and truly into fire season here in Pennsylvania.