Experiments, models, and post-fire studies have shown homes ignite during wildfires due to the condition of the home and its surroundings, up to 200' from the foundation. The last couple…
Adam PrellMay 16, 2018
Introduction In the Wildland Firefighting community Smokejumpers are widely regarded as one of the most prestigious positions in the fire service. Smokejumpers are transported to fires in fixed wing aircraft,…
Adam PrellJanuary 3, 2018
Wildfires are one of the most difficult natural disasters to model. Some argue wildfire modeling is 20 years behind hurricane modeling — and that’s not necessarily inaccurate. Hurricanes occur frequently,…
John MeadNovember 15, 2017
Earlier this week I published some thoughts about the first 24 hours of the October Napa Sonoma Fire Siege. The unprecedented destruction caused by these fires provoked many questions in…
Adam PrellNovember 3, 2017
Tree Mortality Overview According to U.S. Forest Service study done in the summer of 2017, about 6.3 billion dead trees are still standing in 11 Western states, an increase of…
Adam PrellSeptember 28, 2017
Wildfires are one of the most difficult natural disasters to model. Some argue wildfire modeling is 20 years behind hurricane modeling — and that’s not inaccurate. Hurricanes occur frequently, take…
Adam PrellMay 30, 2017
When a wildfire results in damage to homes and other structures, there is often great public interest in knowing how the fire started. More often than not, the cause is not surprising:…
Adam PrellJanuary 22, 2017
What is Dead Fuel Moisture? A recent lack of significant rainfall has kept Southern California in extreme drought, which means there is increased potential for significant wildfire due to dangerous levels of…
Adam PrellDecember 19, 2016
While the community of Gatlinburg, Tennessee grieves their losses and starts planning how to recover and rebuild, a new threat confronts the area. An inch and a half of winter…
John MeadDecember 7, 2016
