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 l 2003 l 2002 l 1999.

Historical Forest Fires In Virginia - images and text from some well-known fires in our state.

Definitions of wildfire terms.

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 Web site for this episode of NOVA on public television.

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

Fire and the Environment

Wildland Fires: Friend and Foe - this interactive Web site 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)
Santa Ana Winds - these hot, dry winds fan the flames of wildfires in Western United States.

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.

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.

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.

Structure Protection from Fire

Fire and EMS Information Network, a clearinghouse of links to fire and emergency management system (EMS) Web sites.

Famouse Wildfires

Scripps Ranch Brush Fire - October 26-27, 2003

Photos of Wildfires

Hot Shot Photo Gallery - Many photos taken by the Prescott Hot Shot Fire Crew.

Aircraft

Associated Airtanker Pilots (AAP) Web site.

Magazines

Wildfire Magazine - Bi-monthly magazine of the International Association of Wildland Fire.

Last modified: Monday, 28-Apr-2008 13:21:31 UTC