Why Do We Need To Understand Firestorm?

A firestorm is a true force of nature. It is a wildfire that has its own wind system. There can be thunderclouds, rain, lightning, and even fire tornadoes inside the firestorm. In the past seven years, 19 firestorms have been documented. These storms have destroyed 1,388 structures, burned down 3.5 million acres, and killed 24 people. To understand firestorms one needs to understand fire. A fire needs three things to thrive: oxygen, fuel and heat. This is what experts call a fire triangle. Heat starts the fire and keeps it burning. The heat can come from lightning hitting a tree, warmth from the sun, or even a blast of hot wind. Fuel is the stuff that the fire burns. It can be dry grass, fallen leaves, or dead trees. Oxygen is a gas in the air that helps keep the

Careless human beings can cause fires. It can start from a fire not extinguished properly, someone throwing down a match, or even a burning cigarette. All firestorms start as wildfires. The heat of the fire then draws in more and more of the surrounding air. If a low level jet stream is near the fire, the air gets pulled in even faster. As this happens, strong wind develops around the fire, pulling in more oxygen. The strong winds change direction erratically. This is called the stack effect or the chimney effect.

The firestorm continues to pull in lots of oxygen, increasing the combustion and heat. The extreme heat can ignite flammable material that is ahead of the fire. This causes the fire grow quickly and increases the intensity. Once all the oxygen is in the fire, the fire begins to have its own wind system and it is then classified as a firestorm.

Firestorms are likely to occur in hot, dry areas like the Southern Plains. The Southern Plains is an area that spans from New Mexico down to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and from Oklahoma down to the Texas Hill Country. Firestorms usually happen in the summer and fall when the shrubbery is dry