Change the odds, save your house

Change the odds, save your house

  Why do some homes burn and some don’t, when wildfires burn through inhabited neighborhoods? In this 10-minute video, Glass Fire Post Fire Analysis – For Residents, a fire chief leads an educational tour through a neighborhood that was ravaged by the Glass...
Don’t inhale!

Don’t inhale!

  A few months ago, we were swimming in smoke.  Well, not me. I stop outdoor exercise when wildfire smoke pushes the Air Quality Index (AQI) above 125. Even though that’s below the 150 “Unhealthy” rating.  You see, AQI only measures five major pollutants:...
Wildfire, it affects EVERYONE

Wildfire, it affects EVERYONE

  Wildfires affect EVERYONE. This statement might seem extreme. Especially, if you live in a city — far from trees, or much of anything flammable really that you can see. It isn’t. Burning biomass contributes significantly to climate change, and wildfires burn a...
Fire Tornadoes

Fire Tornadoes

  This video will give you a new respect and awe for the power of nature:  https://www.wired.com/video/watch/extreme-events-fire-tornado Fortunately, these extreme phenomena are not something to worry about in our everyday lives. “True fire tornadoes have only...
How do wildfires get their names?

How do wildfires get their names?

  You’ve heard of baptism by fire. But what about baptism of a fire? Hurricane names are drawn sequentially from a pre-established list that is managed by the World Meteorological Organization. Wildfire naming isn’t as systematic. In California, wildfires...