Wildfire in Virginia

For many people, the words “wildfire” and “Virginia” might not seem to go together, but wildfire risk is a genuine concern. Each year, about 1,600 wildfires consume a total of 8,000-10,000 acres of forest and grassland in the state. During the fall drought of 2001, Virginia lost more than 13,000 acres to wildfires.

Here you'll find out about wildfires, fighting wildfires, and what you can do to reduce your wildfire risk.

Forest Fire History and Causes - learn what factors contribute to Virginia's forest fire risk.

Wildfire in Virginia: A Historical Review.

International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) - This non-profit, professional association represents members of the global wildland fire community. The purpose of the association is to facilitate communication and provide leadership for the wildland fire community.

Wildfire by FEMA For Kids - Wildfires are a danger for people who live in forest, prairies or wooded areas. These fires are sometimes started by lightning or by accident.

Fire In The South - A report from the Southern Group of State Foresters. (English; PDF document)

Educational resources: www.wildlandfire.com/ and Wildfire News.

Wildfire brochures from the Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research and Information.

Fire Wars - visit the companion website for this episode of NOVA on public television.

Information on fire in a newspaper-style publication, the Virginia Reader. (English; PDF format)

Lessons Learned: What Went Wrong? Lessons From the Woodview Fire Burnover.

Fire and the Environment

• Wildland Fires: Friend and Foe - this interactive website explains wildfires, and how they are detected and suppressed.
• Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Fauna (English; PDF document)
• Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Flora (English; PDF document)
• Wildland Fire in Ecosystems: Effects of Fire on Air (English; PDF document)
• Fires, Bark Beetles, and Healthy Forests (English; PDF format)

Fighting Wildland Fire

Take a look at wildland firefighting and learn more about what is involved in this dangerous work.

Firefighter - What's it like to fight a wildfire? Hear about it in their own words.

• Deploying Your Fire Shelter in a Body of Water
(English; PDF format)

Lessons Learned - A wildfire lesson is truly learned when we modify our behavior to reflect what we now know.

The fire community continuously works to find new ways to keep firefighters safe on the fireline, taking Six Minutes For Safety will have a tremendous positive impact.

Wildland Firefighting graphics When they load they will be a small version, mouse over the image until you get the arrows to enlarge.

• The ABC's of Fire Fighting
• Tools of the Trade
• Eye in the Sky
• Fanning the Flames
• Landscaping For Woodland Homes

Looking Out For Wildfires

• Southern Area Coordination Center
• Smoke Forecasts for Southern Wildfires - The Southern High Resolution Modeling Consortium (SHRMC) provides daily forecasts of ground level particulate matter concentrations resulting from wildfires in the southeastern U.S. using the BlueSky smoke modeling framework developed by the U.S. Forest Service. Forecast results are displayed using Google Earth.
• Federal Wildland Fire Policy from the USDA Forest Service.
• Fire Monitoring and World Fires.

Last modified: Wednesday, 13-Feb-2013 16:18:29 EST