A wildfire would start from a human ignition or a natural cause. It would then be fueled by flammable factors such as wind or dryness, and the fire would continue to spread and intensify. Then the blaze went into creating dozens of small fires to continue the spread. In this phase, the fire can go into a dangerous event called a flashover. This is when the right combination of heat, oxygen, and fuel can cause a nearby tree or house to suddenly catch fire. This almost-instantaneous phenomenon leaves little time for escape. Wildfires also escalate rapidly through a combination of dry, abundant fuel, high winds, and steep terrain, often described by the fire behavior triangle. Escalation is driven by preheating ahead of the flame front, ember-driven spotting, and climate change-induced droughts that make vegetation extremely flammable. After all stages of a wildfire, depending on the intensity,  the fire may go into the smoldering stage, where the flames die down.

Key Words: Wildfire

Sources: https://www.frontlinewildfire.com/wildfire-news-and-resources/the-four-stages-of-wildfire-combustion/ , https://www.marylandforestryfoundation.org/the-escalation-of-wildfires/

By: Mandy McKenzie