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The Crisis of Wildfires
A story map covering the problem of wildfires and the dangers they present
On December 7th, 2017 A fire swept across Bonsall CA. It destroyed 4,100 acres of land and many buildings in between. Sullivan Middle School was caught in its wake and many of the staff were hurt by it. The fire burned and blackened all the vegetation in the area and a lot of people lost their homes. After the fire, you could drive around and see hills of dead and burned nature. The house I lived in and my area were very close to the fire and I could've lost my home and been forced to move. Luckily we found out that our house was ok. This wildfire changed my perspective on the dangers of nature. I connect to those who have had an experience like mine, I also feel for those who have lost their homes or had damage caused. We can never stop these natural disasters as in normal parameters, the world can spark fires on its own. No matter what, the severity of natural disasters is always prominent and prone to happen at any time, even more so depending on the season.
Fire Hazards in California
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Fire hazards in US
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Fire damage since 1984-2020
Dry bush that can fuel wildfires or accidental light
LA fire in the background
Hawaii fires
- Create a plan if a wildfire happens
Areas with more wildfires set up plans so less people get hurt. Making your own plan can save you, your pets, and your family.
2. Think of essentials in emergencies
Bringing only what you absolutely need will make your chances of survival increase. You're not packing for a vacation so grab pets and help family first, most other things are replaceable.
3. Dispose of flammable things correctly
Cigarette buds are one of the main causes for fires, but its not always them. Anything that is lit on fire and tossed has a chance to spark a flame so make sure its fully out and disposed of in a trashcan.
4. Be aware of things that can spark
Similar to point 3, matches and Firestarter's are a hazard around forests and dense vegetation.
5. look up local fire laws
Being up to date or familiar could save potential accidents while camping or just using everyday objects near flammable locations.
6. Follow fire rules
Similar to point 5, Following the rules of fire safety and prevention may save your home and your community as well as everyone who lives in the area.
7. Cleanup debris
Any litter or trash could potentially fuel a sparked fire, keeping these picked up and off the street can help prevent a smaller fire from growing fast.
8. When camping, stay away from flammable places
This doesn't mean dont camp in the forest but if making a fire, try and find a sandy spot or use a fire pit to contain any campfires for safety and preservation of the land.
9. Dont light matches near dry vegetation or heavy vegetation
Anything can spark a fire and if it is a dry spot or theres a dead tree then that could create a large fire starting a chain reaction and possibly hurt people and destroy homes and buildings.
10. Don't use matches near flammable areas
Connecting to point 4, being aware of your surroundings could be the main reason you saved the community from an accidental fire or something worse.
The Red Cross goes into many different ways Wildfires get started as well as ways to prevent wildfires through certain action. I used some of these and other info from this to assign to other actions in my 10 step plan.
Wildfires cause only damage and end up destroying parts of nature as well as communities. Knowing the ways to prevent the start of a wildfire is important to stop possible harm to the environment and people. Although we can't prevent wildfires from ever happening its better to be knowledgeable about any kind of natural disaster. Try an use these small actions to help fight against wildfire damage. Thank you for reading.