Chapter 14 (wildfire)
The Fort McMurray fire in 2016 ended up being the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history with direct and indirect costs totalling __________.
$9.9 billion
Fierce winds occur when a high-pressure air mass spills over a mountain range and descends as warm, dry wind toward a low-pressure zone; these winds are called __________.
All of these choices are correct, depending on geographic location.
During burning, the chemical structure of solid wood breaks apart and yields __________.
All of these choices are correct.
Heat flows outward from a fire by __________.
All of these choices are correct.
Mistakes, or "(how to sacrifice your house to the fire gods)" include __________.
All of these choices are correct.
What complication does "duff" add to job of firefighters?
Duff allows fire to smolder in the soil and restart the fire again after it appears to be out.
Which of the following was largely destroyed by fire in 1871?
Chicago
If there is a high-pressure zone over the Rocky Mountains and a low-pressure zone in the Great Plains, winds can come rushing down the Front Range into the plains; these winds are known as __________.
Chinook winds
Fire hazards are smallest in those regions with the biggest climatic differences between their wet and dry seasons.
F
Fire tornadoes may carry fiery debris and drop it miles away, starting new fires, but their wind speeds do not get high enough to register on the Fujita Scale.
F
Flaming combustion is the stage when the least amount of energy is released in any fire.
F
In glowing combustion the wood burns more slowly but at a higher temperature as the fire consumes the solid wood instead of pyrolized gases, as occurs in flaming combustion.
F
In the United States lightning strikes are responsible for more than 95% of all wildfires.
F
Most fire deaths in the United States occur in hotels and motels.
F
Strong winds tend to blow large fires out rather than making them spread.
F
The energy release in a fire strongly depends on the volume of material consumed, but not on the chemical composition of the plants and organic debris
F
There are typically only about 18 thunderstorms in action on Earth during any one hour that are capable of producing lightning.
F
On 12 September 1812, Napoleon and the French army reached the hills outside of __________ and found it to be largely deserted, with intentional set fires burning throughout; for six days, the fires raged until 90 percent of the city was incinerated.
Moscow
Pyrolysis results in emanation of all but which of the following?
NOT: tar
Because of the poor conductance of heat in wood, the interior of a log remains below the combustion point even when the exterior is engulfed in flames.
T
During World War II, entire cities were ignited as thousands of tons of bombs created massive firestorms, killing tens of thousands of people in such cities as Hamburg and Dresden.
T
Fire is the rapid combination of oxygen with carbon, hydrogen, and other elements of organic material in a reaction that produces flame, heat, and light
T
For a log to burn completely, there must be enough outside heat conducting into the log to continue the pyrolyzing process.
T
For the 1972-1980 period, the percentage of chaparral acreage burned in the United States and in Mexico was about the same, despite enormous efforts made in the United States to suppress fire.
T
In 1880, people clearing land caused nearly half of the forest fires.
T
In Mediterranean climates such as in parts of California, Australia, and South Africa, frequent wildfire is necessary for the health of natural plant communities.
T
In effect, fire is the photosynthesis reaction in reverse.
T
In many natural environments, fire is necessary to recycle nutrients and regenerate plant communities.
T
Sea breezes and land breezes, at a point on the shoreline, flow in opposite directions, but the sea breezes typically have a higher maximum wind speed.
T
The radiant heat released from fires is a form of electromagnetic radiation.
T
Fire produces __________.
carbon dioxide and water vapor
La Niña conditions in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean can increase the risk of wildfires in the United States by __________ some parts of the country.
causing less rain to fall in
Wildfires that race through the treetops are known as __________.
crown fires
Between 1981 and 2009 in the United States, the annual average of fire deaths __________ and the annual average economic damage to structures due to fires __________.
decreased; increased
Fire-dependent natural ecosystems include all but which of the following?
desert
Sea breezes reach their maximum on shore wind speeds __________.
during the hottest part of the day
If a fire in one area starts a fire in another area 10 kilometers away, the most likely cause is __________.
firebrands
A __________ is an uncontrollable mega-fire covering more than 100,000 acres and burns at high intensities that leave little life behind.
firestorm
What are the three components of the fire triangle?
heat, oxygen, and fuel
Heat-expanded air __________.
is less dense than cool air
Grasses are considered __________.
lightweight fuels that are easy to burn when dry
The oils in plants, such as those in chaparral group, evolved to defend the plants against insects also __________.
make them more flammable
In Mediterranean climates such as in parts of California, Australia, and South Africa, frequent wildfire is necessary for the health of natural plant communities because __________.
many of the plant species must have the smoke and/or heat of fire to germinate their seeds and it helps to control parasites and it influences insect behavior
Tall trees in a forest are likely to emerge with the least amount of damage under which of the following sets of conditions?
moderate winds, minimal litter, and no shrubs
Transfer of heat occurs by all but which of the following?
osmosis
In the photosynthesis reaction __________is released as a by-product.
oxygen
Wildfires release so much energy from fuel that they can develop their own clouds called _________.
pyrocumulus
The thermal degradation of wood involves the process of __________.
pyrolysis
The vast majority of deaths from fire in the United States occur in __________.
residential buildings
In effect, the solar energy stored by plants during their growth is __________ when they are burned.
returned to the atmosphere
The organic debris left on the ground after logging or windstorms is called __________.
slash
Embers carried by wind can land and ignite new, separate fires through a process called __________.
spotting
Which of these two fires started within a few minutes of each other on 8 October 1871?
the Peshtigo and Chicago fires
The spread of fire depends on behavior within the fire itself and on __________.
the types of fuel, weather, and topography
Wet wood becomes extremely difficult to ignite because __________.
the water in wet wood has a high specific heat, its temperature must be raised considerably, and the water displaces oxygen (necessary for ignition) in pores in the wood
Firefighters set backfires to reduce or eliminate fuel for an advancing wildfire.
true
Fire burns faster __________.
up a slope
The term "ladder fuels" refers to __________.
vegetation of varying heights, which allow fire to quickly climb upward
Chinook winds and Santa Ana winds are __________.
warm and dry
Pyrolysis of cellulose produces which of the following?
water vapor
The most intense fires in shrublands occur __________.
when the shrubs contain large amounts of natural oils
The Fort McMurray fire in 2016 in Alberta, Canada, wildfire raged for __________.
2 months
Oxygen is a critical component in any fire. However, it is generally not a limiting factor in natural fires because oxygen (O2) makes up __________% of Earth's atmosphere.
21
In 2000, _______ of United States wildland fires were caused by lightning.
15%
The Fort McMurray fire in 2016 ended up burning nearly __________ acres.
1,500,000
Which of these drives fires in Southern California?
Santa Ana winds
In 1988, __________ National Park had fires that burned over a million acres of forests after period of fire suppression.
Yellowstone
