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Modoc Country Living - WildfireWildfires are terrifying no matter whether you live in the country or in a metropolitan area. But they’re a lot more terrifying to someone living in a rural or remote area usually because limited local fire protection services are spread too thin resulting in much longer response times. Less populated areas also have more unmanaged vegetation, and fire is one of nature’s normal vegetation management tools. Residents of Modoc County, California enjoy country life in one of the few rural and remote areas left, so wildfires are of significant importance to them. Fire danger in a more populated area is usually measured by your home’s proximity to fire hydrants and firehouses, and residents usually rely on local fire departments for protection. This is not necessarily so for country folks. People enjoying country living in a rural area must be prepared to take more personal responsibility for fire prevention and protection from wildfires. Hopefully, the next few pages will better equip you to prepare for and protect yourself from fire. 
Fire is a natural phenomenon of science that occurs whenever a combustible fuel comes into contact with oxygen at extremely high temperature. With a wildlands fire, the combustible fuel is usually dry natural vegetation such as dry grass, weeds, bushes or trees, but can be man-made structures. Since oxygen is always present in open spaces, the only remaining part of the equation is the high temperature. That high temperature can be a spark caused by a lightning strike, but 95% of the time, it’s provided by humans. In a populated area, most vegetation is ornamental and therefore managed. It is cut or trimmed and irrigated when dry. In a rural country area, more of the land is covered with natural and unmanaged vegetation, therefore not trimmed nor cut, and watered only by nature. Modoc’s weather and environment make it ripe for
wildfires
with a lot of unmanaged vegetation and hot dry summers. Since virtually the only component of a fire that humans can have control of is the heat source, it becomes clear why fire prevention and protection are so important.
Fire is often represented by a symbol called the fire triangle with sides of Fuel, Oxygen and Heat. When all three sides of the triangle are present, a fire occurs. When one of the sides is removed, the triangle is broken and fire is suppressed. A heat source is responsible for the initial ignition, and is also needed to maintain the fire and permit it to spread. Heat allows fire to spread by drying or removing the moisture from nearby fuel, warming surrounding air, and preheating the fuel in its path, enabling it to travel with greater ease. In addition to any prevailing winds present, a fire causes its own wind source, speeding it along and building in intensity. The heat source for any fire can be natural such as lightning, but most usually is provided by humans. Fuel is defined as any kind of combustible material, and characterized by its moisture content. The moisture content of any fuel will determine how easily that fuel will burn so dry vegetation is an obvious fuel source for fire. Fire requires about 16% oxygen content to burn, and air contains about 21% oxygen. With open air surrounding most wildfire fuel, the 16% is easily obtained.
When all three sides of the fire triangle are present in nature, we experience the terror of a wildfire. Danger of fire is always present, especially in the country, but naturally fire is more of a danger at certain times of the year. During fall, winter and spring months, temperatures are lower and moisture is higher, so the fuel is less likely to burn. However, things change drastically during warmer summer months. That’s when fire prevention and protection become extremely important. Usually, this is when fire crews are beefed up in areas prone to fire danger and restrictions are placed on open fires and burning.
Basically, wherever the elements of the fire triangle can exist, we experience the danger of fire. In the country those elements can be virtually everywhere all the time. There are things that people can do to break one of the triangle’s sides. Because humans cause around 95% of all fires, either accidentally or purposefully, man becomes about the only controlling factor in lessening the terror of wildfire. Controlling the heat source becomes the single most important factor in protecting us from wildland fires, and man usually controls that. In the event of house fires and small grass fires in metropolitan areas, local municipal fire departments are the primary responders. They are also the lead on fire safety enforcement efforts. In a rural country environment, local fire agencies are not normally equipped to cover the wide areas required, nor are they able to respond to large fires. Therefore, local rural fire fighters must usually rely on support from state and federal agencies for wildfire protection and suppression. In Modoc County and other rural areas of California, primary support is usually provided by the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CDF) for firefighting efforts. When larger rural fire incidents occur, a task force is usually formed consisting of local, CDF, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service assets, including aircraft. Word of a fire anywhere within a few hundred miles of your location causes concern if you live in a metropolitan area. Fire within the same proximity usually strikes terror into anyone living in the country. Rural areas where people enjoy country living usually have limited local fire protection services with longer response times. With generally more unmanaged vegetation in a rural area, and fire being nature’s vegetation management tool, wildfires are of significant importance to country living residents. With no fire hydrants and local fire departments with limited resources, folks in the country have to take more personal responsibility for fire prevention and protection. Hopefully, these pages will better equip you to prepare for and protect yourself from forest fires. (Note: Photos on this page courtesy of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) and GeekPhilosopher.com)
Wildfires are not unique to Modoc County, California, nor to country living. Follow this link for a peek at how these fires effect other parts of the world. For some Modoc Country Living tips and techniques on fire prevention and protection, read on…
Modoc Country Living - Wildfire Protection
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