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Wildfire Curious
Wildfire science
For the 2025 holiday season, we bring you 12 bits of the curious science of wildfire and its impacts on your environment.
12 Bits of Science for the Curious
Curiosity #12: A Burning Need — Why the Forest is Pro-Fire
While humans view wildfire as a purely destructive force to be stopped at all costs, many of our forest neighbors can’t live without it. For "pyrophilic" species, a total ban on fire isn't a safety measure — it’s an extinction event. To understand the forest's needs,...
Curiosity #11: Wildfire and the Secret Life of Steel and Stone
Have you ever looked at a massive concrete bridge and thought, "That’s basically rock, it’s invincible"? Concrete is generally a firesafe material: “Concrete and concrete products are fire resistant. Concrete does not burn and it does not emit any toxic fumes when...
Curiosity #10: Caging the Wildfire Dragon
There is a wildfire dragon rampaging through the forest. Dragon Slayers are fighting hard to stop it. But dragons are hard to kill. Battling them can go through many stages. In the world of wildfires, firefighters have very specific words for the different stages of...
Curiosity #9: Power Lines, Wildfire, and the Race to Glory
High above the ground, Zip Zap is one of billions of electrons racing through a high-voltage transmission line. Rumor has it that a wildfire is roaring nearby. Most electrons fear the heat, but not Zip Zap. She is a thrill-seeker. She is tired of the daily grind —...
Curiosity #8: Don’t Drink the Water, A Modern Horror Story
In October 2017, the Tubbs wildfire raged through the city of Santa Rosa CA, destroying more than 3000 homes and other structures. A month later, residents began noticing unusual tastes and smells in their water. The dedicated Santa Rosa Water department staff quickly...
Curiosity #7: Wildfire and The Melting Snow
Pop quiz! Let’s test your intuition about melting ice. Which melts faster? A block of ice that is: 1 foot square 1 inch square Which melts faster? A block of ice sitting in: Direct sunlight Deep shade Which melts faster? A block of ice wrapped in: Shiny white plastic...
Curiosity #6: Meet the Wildfire Party Guests: Ground, Surface, and Crown
Every large gathering needs a mix of personalities: the Shy Wallflower, the Relaxed Socializer, and the Swinging Party Animal. It turns out, a wildfire has the same three types of guests. And, it takes a mix of all three to throw a truly devastating wildfire party!...
Curiosity #5: Throwing a few Wrenches into the Water Supply Assembly Line
Mother Nature’s water cycle and your local water infrastructure collaborate in a long assembly line to deliver water right to your tap. But did you know that a wildfire can vandalize every step in this process? A wildfire can disrupt your water supply immediately –...
Curiosity #4: Wildfire, Part II: Here Come the Flows!
The flames are out, the firefighters have gone home, the drama is over. Or is it? If you live downhill or downstream from a wildfire burn area, you have a front-row reservation for the riveting sequel: 🔥 Wildfire, Part II: Here Come the Flows! 🌊 Introducing...
Curiosity #3: Wildfire, MAW – Master of Alchemical Wizardry, Soil Specialist
Did you know that Wildfires are all NSA (Nature’s School of Alchemy) graduates? Not only can they use heat to transform matter and oxygen into ash and smoke, they can perform amazing transmutation tricks with dirt and soil! Transmutation #1: Waterproofing dirt...
Curiosity #2: Cooking Up a FireStorm–A 4-step Recipe for Wildfire Spread
How do we spread a "yummy" destructive wildfire? We begin with good ingredients. Starting with the basic Fire Triangle of Fuel, Heat, and Oxygen, we then stir in appropriate Weather and favorable Topography to create a powerful wildfire. Recipe for a Basic Fire...
Curiosity #1: Just when you thought the fire was dead and buried
Ever think a wildfire is really out? You may need to think again: Meet the Zombie Fire! (Also known as a holdover, duff, root, or sleeper fire.) The Zombie Fire isn’t the flaming inferno you see on the news. Instead, it’s a sneaky smouldering monster creeping...
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