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84-569: The McKinney Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Klamath National Forest in western Siskiyou County during the 2022 California wildfire season . The fire was named for its ignition point near McKinney Creek Road, where the fire began on July 29, 2022, at approximately 2:15 p.m. PDT . The McKinney Fire experienced explosive weather-driven growth over the next day and a half, consuming more than 50,000 acres in less than 36 hours, destroying at least 185 structures (including most of

168-534: A bushfire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation . Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia ), desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Some natural forest ecosystems depend on wildfire. Wildfires are different from controlled or prescribed burning , which are carried out to provide

252-564: A defensible space be maintained by clearing flammable materials within a prescribed distance from the structure. Communities in the Philippines also maintain fire lines 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 ft) wide between the forest and their village, and patrol these lines during summer months or seasons of dry weather. Continued residential development in fire-prone areas and rebuilding structures destroyed by fires has been met with criticism. The ecological benefits of fire are often overridden by

336-651: A lightning strike . The fire grew quickly after starting, influenced by nearby thunderstorms , which produced gusty outflow winds without rain. By 8:30 pm, the fire was roughly 300 acres. On the night of the 29th, amid extreme fire behavior, the McKinney Fire generated an enormous pyrocumulonimbus cloud that reached approximately 50,000 feet into the troposphere and stratosphere , generating its own lightning. Firefighters were forced to "shift from an offensive perimeter control effort to evacuations, point protection and structure defense." The next morning, on July 30,

420-465: A 15 mile radius. Additionally, Sensaio Tech , based in Brazil and Toronto, has released a sensor device that continuously monitors 14 different variables common in forests, ranging from soil temperature to salinity. This information is connected live back to clients through dashboard visualizations, while mobile notifications are provided regarding dangerous levels. Satellite and aerial monitoring through

504-470: A 24-hour fire day that begins at 10:00 a.m. due to the predictable increase in intensity resulting from the daytime warmth. Climate change promotes the type of weather that makes wildfires more likely. In some areas, an increase of wildfires has been attributed directly to climate change. Evidence from Earth's past also shows more fire in warmer periods. Climate change increases evapotranspiration . This can cause vegetation and soils to dry out. When

588-663: A benefit for people. Modern forest management often engages in prescribed burns to mitigate fire risk and promote natural forest cycles. However, controlled burns can turn into wildfires by mistake. Wildfires can be classified by cause of ignition, physical properties, combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire. Wildfire severity results from a combination of factors such as available fuels, physical setting, and weather. Climatic cycles with wet periods that create substantial fuels, followed by drought and heat, often precede severe wildfires. These cycles have been intensified by climate change . Wildfires are

672-485: A common type of disaster in some regions, including Siberia (Russia), California (United States), British Columbia (Canada), and Australia . Areas with Mediterranean climates or in the taiga biome are particularly susceptible. Wildfires can severely impact humans and their settlements. Effects include for example the direct health impacts of smoke and fire, as well as destruction of property (especially in wildland–urban interfaces ), and economic losses. There

756-610: A fire starts in an area with very dry vegetation, it can spread rapidly. Higher temperatures can also lengthen the fire season. This is the time of year in which severe wildfires are most likely, particularly in regions where snow is disappearing. Weather conditions are raising the risks of wildfires. But the total area burnt by wildfires has decreased. This is mostly because savanna has been converted to cropland , so there are fewer trees to burn. Climate variability including heat waves , droughts , and El Niño , and regional weather patterns, such as high-pressure ridges, can increase

840-476: A local emergency the same day. The fire continued to burn and remained active overnight, climbing to 51,468 acres and losing all containment. On July 31, the fire behavior and spread moderated, trapped beneath an inversion layer as thunderstorms with more wetting rain remained over the region as a result of the summer monsoon . However, those same storms also produced many cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, resulting in multiple nearby ignitions. Conditions during

924-530: A new fire detection tool is in operation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) which uses data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite to detect smaller fires in more detail than previous space-based products. The high-resolution data is used with a computer model to predict how a fire will change direction based on weather and land conditions. In 2014, an international campaign

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1008-415: A number expected to rise to 30,000 by 2050. The economic impact is also significant, with projected costs reaching $ 240 billion annually by 2050, surpassing other climate-related damages. Over the past century, wildfires have accounted for 20–25% of global carbon emissions, the remainder from human activities. Global carbon emissions from wildfires through August 2020 equaled the average annual emissions of

1092-583: A period. A private contractor working with fire crews was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after flood water and debris flows caused a bridge to give out, trapping him inside his vehicle. The debris flows also caused massive fish die-offs in the Klamath River. A remote monitoring system managed by the Karuk Native American tribe recorded the oxygen saturation level in the Klamath River near Seiad Creek (20 miles (32 km) downstream of

1176-545: A policy of allowing some wildfires to burn is the cheapest method and an ecologically appropriate policy for many forests, they tend not to take into account the economic value of resources that are consumed by the fire, especially merchantable timber. Some studies conclude that while fuels may also be removed by logging, such thinning treatments may not be effective at reducing fire severity under extreme weather conditions. Building codes in fire-prone areas typically require that structures be built of flame-resistant materials and

1260-503: A possible resolution to human operator error. These systems may be semi- or fully automated and employ systems based on the risk area and degree of human presence, as suggested by GIS data analyses. An integrated approach of multiple systems can be used to merge satellite data, aerial imagery, and personnel position via Global Positioning System (GPS) into a collective whole for near-realtime use by wireless Incident Command Centers . A small, high risk area that features thick vegetation,

1344-531: A rapid forward rate of spread (FROS) when burning through dense uninterrupted fuels. They can move as fast as 10.8 kilometres per hour (6.7 mph) in forests and 22 kilometres per hour (14 mph) in grasslands. Wildfires can advance tangential to the main front to form a flanking front, or burn in the opposite direction of the main front by backing . They may also spread by jumping or spotting as winds and vertical convection columns carry firebrands (hot wood embers) and other burning materials through

1428-681: A remote site and sent via overnight mail to the fire manager . During the Yellowstone fires of 1988 , a data station was established in West Yellowstone , permitting the delivery of satellite-based fire information in approximately four hours. Public hotlines, fire lookouts in towers, and ground and aerial patrols can be used as a means of early detection of forest fires. However, accurate human observation may be limited by operator fatigue , time of day, time of year, and geographic location. Electronic systems have gained popularity in recent years as

1512-470: A road near Highway 96 , and two were found later at separate residences near Highway 96. The first pair were found on the morning of July 31 and the news was released on the morning of August 1, while the second two victims were found the morning of August 1 and the news was released on August 2. One of the victims was identified as a longtime wildfire lookout in the region for the Forest Service, though she

1596-569: A strong human presence, or is close to a critical urban area can be monitored using a local sensor network . Detection systems may include wireless sensor networks that act as automated weather systems: detecting temperature, humidity, and smoke. These may be battery-powered, solar-powered, or tree-rechargeable : able to recharge their battery systems using the small electrical currents in plant material. Larger, medium-risk areas can be monitored by scanning towers that incorporate fixed cameras and sensors to detect smoke or additional factors such as

1680-779: A susceptible area: an ignition source is brought into contact with a combustible material such as vegetation that is subjected to enough heat and has an adequate supply of oxygen from the ambient air. A high moisture content usually prevents ignition and slows propagation, because higher temperatures are needed to evaporate any water in the material and heat the material to its fire point . Dense forests usually provide more shade, resulting in lower ambient temperatures and greater humidity , and are therefore less susceptible to wildfires. Less dense material such as grasses and leaves are easier to ignite because they contain less water than denser material such as branches and trunks. Plants continuously lose water by evapotranspiration , but water loss

1764-448: Is also the potential for contamination of water and soil. At a global level, human practices have made the impacts of wildfire worse, with a doubling in land area burned by wildfires compared to natural levels. Humans have impacted wildfire through climate change (e.g. more intense heat waves and droughts ), land-use change , and wildfire suppression . The carbon released from wildfires can add to carbon dioxide concentrations in

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1848-721: Is no longer an expectation, but the majority of wildfires are often extinguished before they grow out of control. While more than 99% of the 10,000 new wildfires each year are contained, escaped wildfires under extreme weather conditions are difficult to suppress without a change in the weather. Wildfires in Canada and the US burn an average of 54,500 square kilometers (13,000,000 acres) per year. Above all, fighting wildfires can become deadly. A wildfire's burning front may also change direction unexpectedly and jump across fire breaks. Intense heat and smoke can lead to disorientation and loss of appreciation of

1932-473: Is prone to offset errors, anywhere from 2 to 3 kilometers (1 to 2 mi) for MODIS and AVHRR data and up to 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) for GOES data. Satellites in geostationary orbits may become disabled, and satellites in polar orbits are often limited by their short window of observation time. Cloud cover and image resolution may also limit the effectiveness of satellite imagery. Global Forest Watch provides detailed daily updates on fire alerts. In 2015

2016-416: Is usually balanced by water absorbed from the soil, humidity, or rain. When this balance is not maintained, often as a consequence of droughts , plants dry out and are therefore more flammable. A wildfire front is the portion sustaining continuous flaming combustion, where unburned material meets active flames, or the smoldering transition between unburned and burned material. As the front approaches,

2100-680: The 2023 Canadian wildfires false claims of arson gained traction on social media; however, arson is generally not a main cause of wildfires in Canada. In California, generally 6–10% of wildfires annually are arson. Coal seam fires burn in the thousands around the world, such as those in Burning Mountain , New South Wales; Centralia , Pennsylvania; and several coal-sustained fires in China . They can also flare up unexpectedly and ignite nearby flammable material. (Fire) Good luck deleting this, Frost! (Fire) The spread of wildfires varies based on

2184-957: The Amazon rainforest . The fires in the latter were caused mainly by illegal logging . The smoke from the fires expanded on huge territory including major cities, dramatically reducing air quality. As of August 2020, the wildfires in that year were 13% worse than in 2019 due primarily to climate change , deforestation and agricultural burning. The Amazon rainforest 's existence is threatened by fires. Record-breaking wildfires in 2021 occurred in Turkey , Greece and Russia , thought to be linked to climate change. The carbon released from wildfires can add to greenhouse gas concentrations. Climate models do not yet fully reflect this feedback . Wildfires release large amounts of carbon dioxide, black and brown carbon particles, and ozone precursors such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into

2268-557: The European Union . In 2020, the carbon released by California's wildfires was significantly larger than the state's other carbon emissions. Forest fires in Indonesia in 1997 were estimated to have released between 0.81 and 2.57 giga tonnes (0.89 and 2.83 billion short tons ) of CO 2 into the atmosphere, which is between 13–40% of the annual global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. In June and July 2019, fires in

2352-472: The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS). Between 2022–2023, wildfires throughout North America prompted an uptake in the delivery and design of various technologies using artificial intelligence for early detection, prevention, and prediction of wildfires. Wildfire suppression depends on the technologies available in the area in which the wildfire occurs. In less developed nations

2436-500: The Karuk tribe . At least 11 more structures suffered damage. Evacuation warnings and orders were put in place throughout Siskiyou County, including evacuation orders for Seiad Valley , Horse Creek , and Klamath River , and evacuation warnings for portions of the city of Yreka . More than 5,800 people are impacted by evacuation orders. California State Route 96 was closed throughout the fire footprint. Much of Klamath National Forest along

2520-612: The Los Angeles Times over abuses of media privileges while accessing the McKinney Fire area. Alleged abuses included bringing unauthorized civilians into the fire zone, trespassing on private property (including locations where human remains were found), and opening burned vehicles to film them. KRCR, a Redding-based affiliate of Sinclair/ABC, disputed the allegations, as did the Los Angeles Times. In one case, Matt Gutman , an ABC News chief national correspondent , broadcast from

2604-631: The Oak Fire in Mariposa County ) and the second-largest, surpassed by the Mosquito Fire in Placer and El Dorado counties. The environment for the fire's growth was fueled by a combination of drought, high temperatures, and dry thunderstorms . In late July, the majority of Siskiyou County was designated as being in extreme drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor and National Drought Mitigation Center. Yreka ,

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2688-500: The Paris climate agreement . Due to the complex oxidative chemistry occurring during the transport of wildfire smoke in the atmosphere, the toxicity of emissions was indicated to increase over time. Atmospheric models suggest that these concentrations of sooty particles could increase absorption of incoming solar radiation during winter months by as much as 15%. The Amazon is estimated to hold around 90 billion tons of carbon. As of 2019,

2772-503: The Tower of London garrison using gunpowder and fire hooks in a widespread, ad-hoc firebreaking campaign across Central London. Historians believe this to have been one of the major contributing factors to the eventual defeat of the inferno. The world's most expensive firebreak was created when part of Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco was dynamited to stop the spread of fire resulting from

2856-410: The dry season . In middle latitudes , the most common human causes of wildfires are equipment generating sparks (chainsaws, grinders, mowers, etc.), overhead power lines , and arson . Arson may account for over 20% of human caused fires. However, in the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season "an independent study found online bots and trolls exaggerating the role of arson in the fires." In

2940-431: The forest floor and reduce the rate of fuel accumulation, and to enhance the landscaping in recreational and inhabited locations. Forested areas often contain vast networks of firebreaks. Some communities are also using firebreaks as part of their city planning strategy . An example is the city of Revelstoke, British Columbia , which includes firebreaks in their Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Depending on

3024-459: The Arctic emitted more than 140 megatons of carbon dioxide, according to an analysis by CAMS. To put that into perspective this amounts to the same amount of carbon emitted by 36 million cars in a year. The recent wildfires and their massive CO 2 emissions mean that it will be important to take them into consideration when implementing measures for reaching greenhouse gas reduction targets accorded with

3108-629: The Highway 96 corridor between Yreka and Happy Camp was closed to public access by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) between August 3 and September 6, 2021. The USFS additionally closed a 110-mile-long portion of the Pacific Crest Trail , between Etna Summit in California and Mount Ashland Campground in Oregon. Search and rescue teams from both Oregon and California assisted in evacuating at least 60 hikers on

3192-400: The Klamath River, which may be further impacted as a result of the fire's aftereffects. The cause of the McKinney Fire is officially unknown. According to radio dispatches, the fire began beneath the 12,000-volt Scott Bar distribution power line owned and operated by the electric utility Pacific Power, a business unit of PacifiCorp . That line had lost power at approximately 9:00 p.m.

3276-472: The McKinney Fire. Areas within and near the McKinney Fire's burn scar received evacuation warnings in March 2023 for potential debris flows following heavy rains. The McKinney Fire burned partially in areas previously burned by the 1955 Haystack Fire and the 2014 Beaver Fire . The McKinney Fire resulted in 4 fatalities, all civilians: two victims were found deceased in their vehicle together in their driveway off

3360-490: The PCT, who were not in immediate peril but were at risk due to the fire's rapid growth and low visibility. Two people were arrested within an evacuation area, with one booked for possession of burglary tools and one for burglary within an evacuation zone. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office announced they were investigating several news organizations, including ABC News , KRCR News Channel 7 , CBS News , KDRV News Channel 12 and

3444-498: The United States in the early 20th century and fires were reported using telephones, carrier pigeons , and heliographs . Aerial and land photography using instant cameras were used in the 1950s until infrared scanning was developed for fire detection in the 1960s. However, information analysis and delivery was often delayed by limitations in communication technology. Early satellite-derived fire analyses were hand-drawn on maps at

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3528-714: The Western US, earlier snowmelt and associated warming has also been associated with an increase in length and severity of the wildfire season, or the most fire-prone time of the year. A 2019 study indicates that the increase in fire risk in California may be partially attributable to human-induced climate change . In the summer of 1974–1975 (southern hemisphere), Australia suffered its worst recorded wildfire, when 15% of Australia's land mass suffered "extensive fire damage". Fires that summer burned up an estimated 117 million hectares (290 million acres ; 1,170,000 square kilometres ; 450,000 square miles ). In Australia,

3612-435: The air over roads, rivers, and other barriers that may otherwise act as firebreaks . Torching and fires in tree canopies encourage spotting, and dry ground fuels around a wildfire are especially vulnerable to ignition from firebrands. Spotting can create spot fires as hot embers and firebrands ignite fuels downwind from the fire. In Australian bushfires , spot fires are known to occur as far as 20 kilometres (12 mi) from

3696-720: The annual number of hot days (above 35 °C) and very hot days (above 40 °C) has increased significantly in many areas of the country since 1950. The country has always had bushfires but in 2019, the extent and ferocity of these fires increased dramatically. For the first time catastrophic bushfire conditions were declared for Greater Sydney. New South Wales and Queensland declared a state of emergency but fires were also burning in South Australia and Western Australia. In 2019, extreme heat and dryness caused massive wildfires in Siberia , Alaska , Canary Islands , Australia , and in

3780-470: The atmosphere and thus contribute to the greenhouse effect . This creates a climate change feedback . Naturally occurring wildfires can have beneficial effects on those ecosystems that have evolved with fire. In fact, many plant species depend on the effects of fire for growth and reproduction. The ignition of a fire takes place through either natural causes or human activity (deliberate or not). Natural occurrences that can ignite wildfires without

3864-444: The atmosphere. These emissions affect radiation, clouds, and climate on regional and even global scales. Wildfires also emit substantial amounts of semi-volatile organic species that can partition from the gas phase to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) over hours to days after emission. In addition, the formation of the other pollutants as the air is transported can lead to harmful exposures for populations in regions far away from

3948-474: The community of Klamath River ) and causing 4 fatalities. The McKinney Fire burned 60,138 acres (24,337 hectares) in total. Subsequent precipitation over the burn scar led to localized flooding and debris flows , which damaged infrastructure and killed "tens of thousands" of fish in the Klamath River and its tributaries . It was the deadliest wildfire of 2022 in California, the second-most destructive (after

4032-437: The construction of a firebreak, the primary goal is to remove deadwood and undergrowth down to mineral soil. Various methods may be used to accomplish this initially and to maintain this condition. Ideally, the firebreak will be constructed and maintained according to the established practices of sustainable forestry and fire protection engineering , also known as best management practices (BMP). The general goals are to maximize

4116-458: The debris flows) plunging to 0% for several hours on the night of August 3 and again on August 4. This caused the death of what may have been tens of thousands of fish along a 50-mile stretch (80 km) of the Klamath River. The species affected included suckers , juvenile salmon , lamprey eels , crayfish , and steelhead trout . The Karuk and Yurok Native American tribes have been working for years to protect fragile salmon populations in

4200-578: The direction of the fire, which can make fires particularly dangerous. For example, during the 1949 Mann Gulch fire in Montana , United States, thirteen smokejumpers died when they lost their communication links, became disoriented, and were overtaken by the fire. In the Australian February 2009 Victorian bushfires , at least 173 people died and over 2,029 homes and 3,500 structures were lost when they became engulfed by wildfire. Firebreak In

4284-693: The earth's atmosphere has 415 parts per million of carbon, and the destruction of the Amazon would add about 38 parts per million. Some research has shown wildfire smoke can have a cooling effect. Research in 2007 stated that black carbon in snow changed temperature three times more than atmospheric carbon dioxide. As much as 94 percent of Arctic warming may be caused by dark carbon on snow that initiates melting. The dark carbon comes from fossil fuels burning, wood and other biofuels, and forest fires. Melting can occur even at low concentrations of dark carbon (below five parts per billion)". Wildfire prevention refers to

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4368-411: The economic and safety benefits of protecting structures and human life. The demand for timely, high-quality fire information has increased in recent years. Fast and effective detection is a key factor in wildfire fighting. Early detection efforts were focused on early response, accurate results in both daytime and nighttime, and the ability to prioritize fire danger. Fire lookout towers were used in

4452-416: The effectiveness of the firebreak at slowing the spread of wildfire, and, by using firebreaks of sufficient size and density, to reduce the ultimate size of wildfires. Additional goals are to maintain the ecology of the forest and to reduce the impact of wildfires on air pollution and the global climate , and to balance the costs and benefits of the various projects. These goals can be achieved through

4536-463: The environmental conditions, and the relative effectiveness of a given firebreak, firebreaks often have to be backed up with other firefighting efforts. Even then, it is still sometimes possible for fire to spread across a seemingly impenetrable divide. For example, during the Cedar Fire of 2003, strong Santa Ana winds had blown enough burning embers across a 10-lane section of Interstate 15 to ignite

4620-402: The fire front. Especially large wildfires may affect air currents in their immediate vicinities by the stack effect : air rises as it is heated, and large wildfires create powerful updrafts that will draw in new, cooler air from surrounding areas in thermal columns . Great vertical differences in temperature and humidity encourage pyrocumulus clouds , strong winds, and fire whirls with

4704-417: The fire heats both the surrounding air and woody material through convection and thermal radiation . First, wood is dried as water is vaporized at a temperature of 100 °C (212 °F). Next, the pyrolysis of wood at 230 °C (450 °F) releases flammable gases. Finally, wood can smolder at 380 °C (720 °F) or, when heated sufficiently, ignite at 590 °C (1,000 °F). Even before

4788-526: The fire was assessed at approximately 18,000 acres amid a red flag warning for the region for heat, potential lightning-sparked wildfires, and wind from more thunderstorms. At 12:29 pm, the McKinney fire was mapped by FIRIS as 29,677 acres. Governor of California Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Siskiyou County on July 30, as a result of the McKinney Fire. The city of Yreka additionally declared

4872-610: The fire zone with a Siskiyou resident looking for her missing uncle on his property. Human remains were then found on the property. An ABC spokesperson claimed they notified law enforcement immediately upon the discovery by the residents, while the Sheriff's office claimed ABC News had reported on the discovery of the remains before authorities could process the scene and notify family of the deceased. While California law traditionally gives media unlimited access to "scenes of disaster, riot, or civil disturbance," per California Penal Code 409.5 (d),

4956-419: The first few days of August remained much the same, with monsoonal moisture limiting fire activity and allowing fire suppression crews to build firebreaks by hand and with bulldozers to gain containment. The firefighting effort drew personnel through mutual aid programs from many other states, as far afield as Delaware and Pennsylvania. At its peak, more than 3,500 personnel in total were involved in combatting

5040-452: The flames of a wildfire arrive at a particular location, heat transfer from the wildfire front warms the air to 800 °C (1,470 °F), which pre-heats and dries flammable materials, causing materials to ignite faster and allowing the fire to spread faster. High-temperature and long-duration surface wildfires may encourage flashover or torching : the drying of tree canopies and their subsequent ignition from below. Wildfires have

5124-421: The flammable material present, its vertical arrangement and moisture content, and weather conditions. Fuel arrangement and density is governed in part by topography , as land shape determines factors such as available sunlight and water for plant growth. Overall, fire types can be generally characterized by their fuels as follows: Wildfires occur when all the necessary elements of a fire triangle come together in

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5208-441: The force of tornadoes at speeds of more than 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). Rapid rates of spread, prolific crowning or spotting, the presence of fire whirls, and strong convection columns signify extreme conditions. Intensity also increases during daytime hours. Burn rates of smoldering logs are up to five times greater during the day due to lower humidity, increased temperatures, and increased wind speeds. Sunlight warms

5292-450: The ground during the day which creates air currents that travel uphill. At night the land cools, creating air currents that travel downhill. Wildfires are fanned by these winds and often follow the air currents over hills and through valleys. Fires in Europe occur frequently during the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Wildfire suppression operations in the United States revolve around

5376-490: The infrared signature of carbon dioxide produced by fires. Additional capabilities such as night vision , brightness detection, and color change detection may also be incorporated into sensor arrays . The Department of Natural Resources signed a contract with PanoAI for the installation of 360 degree 'rapid detection' cameras around the Pacific northwest, which are mounted on cell towers and are capable of 24/7 monitoring of

5460-470: The involvement of humans include lightning , volcanic eruptions , sparks from rock falls, and spontaneous combustions . Sources of human-caused fire may include arson, accidental ignition, or the uncontrolled use of fire in land-clearing and agriculture such as the slash-and-burn farming in Southeast Asia. In the tropics , farmers often practice the slash-and-burn method of clearing fields during

5544-485: The media is forbidden to access locations that would interfere with investigations. Because the cause of the McKinney Fire is unknown, the Sheriff's Office argued that the disturbed property where the human remains were found qualified as an active crime scene investigation. Smoke from the McKinney Fire caused unhealthy air impacts in parts of Northern California and Southern Oregon. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland

5628-674: The nearby county seat for Siskiyou County, had recorded only about half of its usual precipitation for the year. The region was also trapped within a heat dome , or a ridge of high pressure , in the Pacific Northwest during late July, similar to (but less extreme than) the June 2021 Western North America heat wave . Temperatures in the region repeatedly hit triple digits, and in Montague (just east of Yreka) they had not fallen below 96 degrees in over two weeks. This further dried out vegetation in

5712-570: The nearby flammable vegetation and create a firebreak helped save the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and Getty Museum from California wildfires . Green firebreaks are lines of low flammability vegetation, planted to retard fire. Among their advantages are lower cost, biodiversity and reduced erosion. Due to a lack of a standardized firefighting force at the time, the Great Fire of London in 1666 instead saw

5796-433: The night before the fire, and service had been restored at approximately 5:00 a.m. on the morning of the day the fire started. The utility claimed it had patrolled the entire line and been unable to determine the outage's cause. Residents of Klamath River speculated whether work on the power line in the neighborhood was the cause of the fire, sharing images of the area taped off. The utility stated on August 5, 2022 that it

5880-480: The preemptive methods aimed at reducing the risk of fires as well as lessening its severity and spread. Prevention techniques aim to manage air quality, maintain ecological balances, protect resources, and to affect future fires. Prevention policies must consider the role that humans play in wildfires, since, for example, 95% of forest fires in Europe are related to human involvement. Wildfire prevention programs around

5964-409: The region. Much of the fire's eventual footprint had also not burned since the 1955 Haystack Fire, allowing fuels to build up in an area with a history of commercial logging, replacing old-growth trees with younger, denser, and less fire-resistant plantations. The McKinney Fire was first reported in the afternoon of July 29, 2022. Officials were unsure of the cause, but did not believe it was started by

6048-404: The risk and alter the behavior of wildfires dramatically. Years of high precipitation can produce rapid vegetation growth, which when followed by warmer periods can encourage more widespread fires and longer fire seasons. High temperatures dry out the fuel loads and make them more flammable, increasing tree mortality and posing significant risks to global forest health. Since the mid-1980s, in

6132-399: The techniques used can be as simple as throwing sand or beating the fire with sticks or palm fronds. In more advanced nations, the suppression methods vary due to increased technological capacity. Silver iodide can be used to encourage snow fall, while fire retardants and water can be dropped onto fires by unmanned aerial vehicles , planes , and helicopters . Complete fire suppression

6216-402: The use of appropriate operating practices, many of which can be potentially mutually beneficial to all. In many cases, it may be useful for firebreak upkeep to be maintained along with the harvesting of forestry products, such as lumber and biomass fuel, since the objectives are fundamentally related, in that the basic goals are to remove material from the forest. Furthermore, if done properly,

6300-936: The use of planes, helicopter, or UAVs can provide a wider view and may be sufficient to monitor very large, low risk areas. These more sophisticated systems employ GPS and aircraft-mounted infrared or high-resolution visible cameras to identify and target wildfires. Satellite-mounted sensors such as Envisat 's Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer and European Remote-Sensing Satellite 's Along-Track Scanning Radiometer can measure infrared radiation emitted by fires, identifying hot spots greater than 39 °C (102 °F). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Hazard Mapping System combines remote-sensing data from satellite sources such as Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) for detection of fire and smoke plume locations. However, satellite detection

6384-494: The value of these products can significantly offset the cost of maintaining the firebreak. In addition, these commercial industries and small businesses are helped by a reduction in the property damages caused by wildfires, and reduced risk of investment . The biomass material that is not suitable for dimensioned lumber is suitable to make woodchips for the paper industry and the energy industry. Larger trees are sometimes left in place within some types of firebreaks, to shade

6468-598: The vegetation on the other side. During the 1988 fires in Yellowstone National Park , hot embers managed to cross the Lewis Canyon , a natural canyon up to a mile wide and 600 feet (180 m) deep. In Australia, firebreaks are less effective against eucalyptus forest fires, since intense fires in tinder-dry eucalyptus forest spread through flying embers, which can be carried by the winds to trigger new blazes several kilometres away. In 2019, goats deployed to graze

6552-411: The wildfires. While direct emissions of harmful pollutants can affect first responders and residents, wildfire smoke can also be transported over long distances and impact air quality across local, regional, and global scales. The health effects of wildfire smoke, such as worsening cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, extend beyond immediate exposure, contributing to nearly 16,000 annual deaths,

6636-519: The world may employ techniques such as wildland fire use (WFU) and prescribed or controlled burns . Wildland fire use refers to any fire of natural causes that is monitored but allowed to burn. Controlled burns are fires ignited by government agencies under less dangerous weather conditions. Other objectives can include maintenance of healthy forests, rangelands, and wetlands, and support of ecosystem diversity. Strategies for wildfire prevention, detection, control and suppression have varied over

6720-466: The years. One common and inexpensive technique to reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires is controlled burning : intentionally igniting smaller less-intense fires to minimize the amount of flammable material available for a potential wildfire. Vegetation may be burned periodically to limit the accumulation of plants and other debris that may serve as fuel, while also maintaining high species diversity. While other people claim that controlled burns and

6804-445: Was forced to move shows indoors because of smoke. On August 2, up to 3 inches of precipitation fell over the east side of the McKinney Fire burn area, causing localized flooding and releasing large debris flows into tributaries of the Klamath River, including Humbug Creek and McKinney Creek. The debris flows were significant enough to double the flow of the Klamath River in some areas from 1,000 feet per second to 2,000 feet per second for

6888-426: Was not aware of any of its equipment being seized in relation to the McKinney Fire. On August 8, PacifiCorp and the Forest Service both commented, noting that the McKinney Fire's cause was under investigation by Cal Fire and that neither party had been granted access to the ignition area as a result. As of August 7, Cal Fire had declined to comment on the investigation. Wildfire A wildfire , forest fire , or

6972-540: Was not on duty at the time. Additionally, at least 12 firefighters were injured during the suppression effort. The fire also resulted in the destruction of at least 185 structures, including much of the community of Klamath River . At least 118 of the destroyed structures were homes. Notable structures destroyed also included the Klamath River Community Hall and a building in Oak Knoll that housed archives for

7056-762: Was organized in South Africa's Kruger National Park to validate fire detection products including the new VIIRS active fire data. In advance of that campaign, the Meraka Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in Pretoria, South Africa, an early adopter of the VIIRS 375 m fire product, put it to use during several large wildfires in Kruger. Since 2021 NASA has provided active fire locations in near real-time via

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