Wildfire is a Weather Event

As super heated air rises, it is replaced by cooler, oxygen rich air from the outside which feeds the fire triangle. As the wildfire grows in intensity, the greater the updraft. This thunderstorm effect creates a plume of superheated air and burning debris.

The prevailing winds bend this plume over where it is going to go, preheating and drying out fuels, both man made and nature made. Ignition is provided by aerial firebrands, dropping from the sky. Bodies of water have no effect on stopping the spread of this type of wildfire—as evidenced during the worst wildfires in our nation’s history.