Deck 17: Wildfires

Question 1

Which side of a forest is at greater risk of wildfire in the northern U.S. and southern Canada?

A)northeast
B)southeast
C)northwest
D)southwest
E)south

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Current U.S. Forest Service policy is to:

A)aggressively fight wildfires
B)prevent all fires
C)set controlled fires intentionally
D)allow wildfires to burn, even in areas near buildings
E)increase forest densities through planting programs

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which area of the U.S. generally has the highest (worst) fire weather potential?

A)the northwest
B)the desert southwest
C)the southeast
D)the northeast
E)central plains states

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which source of information is NOT typically used by fire investigators in determining a fire's cause?

A)records of past fires in the area
B)weather records
C)height and degree of defoliation
D)post-fire aerial photos
E)wind patterns during a fire

Question 5

Wildfires benefit forests in many ways. Which is NOT one of these?

A)thinning closely spaced trees
B)reducing understory fuel
C)permitting growth of different tree species
D)permitting growth of different tree ages
E)improving landscape views for inhabitants

Question 6

Why do grass, needles, and shrubs burn easier and faster than trees?

A)They have a large surface area compared with their total mass.
B)They are close to the ground where the fire is.
C)They are drier than trees.
D)They are closer together than trees.
E)They have fewer green leaves than trees.

Question 7

Which fire detection method is NOT currently in use?

A)automated smoke detection systems mounted on tall towers
B)light aircraft with heat detection cameras
C)manned forest towers
D)weather radar
E)hot-air balloons with heat detection cameras

Question 8

How can a homeowner create a defensible space in order to obtain fire insurance?

A)Choose a home in a narrow canyon or wilderness area.
B)Dig a ditch around the perimeter of the house.
C)Install a fire-proof roof on the house.
D)Clear ground duff and brush and cut down trees on all sides of the house.
E)Choose a home built on the site of a previous fire.

Question 9

​Which factor does NOT contribute to the intensity of a wildfire?

A)local temperature
B)type of vegetation
C)wind speed
D)the initial cause of the fire
E)moisture content of the fuel

Question 10

In California, between 2001 and 2009, what was the largest cause of wildfires?

A)arson
B)lightning
C)smoking
D)unsafe use of power equipment
E)campfires

Question 11

What public policy change followed the tragic Melbourne, Australia fire of 2009?

A)instituting a nationwide fire alert system involving telephone and text messaging
B)requiring people to comply with guidelines regarding clearing flammable materials from around their homes
C)requiring fire insurance for all buildings in fire-prone areas
D)requiring fire extinguishers on every floor of a multi-story building
E)doubling the number of firefighting personnel on duty at any one time

Question 12

The most dangerous part of the day for firefighting is _____, when weather is hottest and winds often blow the fire in unpredictable directions.

A)between midnight and dawn
B)early morning
C)mid-morning
D)midday
E)late afternoon

Question 13

Between 2001 and 2009, what percentage of California forest fires was lightning-caused?

A)2 percent
B)5 percent
C)10 percent
D)17 percent
E)30 percent

Question 14

Which precaution is NOT suggested during evacuation due to a fire?

A)Wear cotton or wool clothes.
B)Connect the garden hoses to faucets.
C)Place your vehicle in a garage and close the door.
D)Open all interior doors in your house.
E)Prop a ladder against the roof.

Question 15

What condition does NOT contribute to more fire-prone forests?

A)vegetation with large surface area per unit of volume
B)low-moisture-content fuels
C)low-humidity air
D)larger trees
E)insect-killed trees

Question 16

What is NOT a primary consideration in establishing fire risk for an area?

A)temperature
B)vegetation
C)the amount of available firefighting resources
D)topography
E)weather patterns

Question 17

Which is NOT a potentially harmful air pollutant created by wildfires?

A)dihydrogen oxide
B)nitrogen oxides
C)carbon monoxide
D)hydrocarbons
E)ozone

Question 18

​Which measure is NOT used to minimize erosion following a fire?

A)seeding slopes
B)placing straw bales or tubes
C)felling dead trees
D)removing dead trees
E)placing plastic sheeting over the soil

Question 19

Specially-designed fire shelters provide firefighters with limited protection for what length of time under moderate fire conditions?

A)10 minutes
B)15 minutes
C)20 minutes
D)30 minutes
E)about an hour

Question 20

What distance of space cleared of any fuels around a house is recommended?

A)5 m
B)10 m
C)30 m
D)50 m
E)It depends on the ground vegetation nearby

Question 21

A fire progresses more quickly downslope than upslope.

Question 22

Glassy residue or elongated or straw-like groups of fused mineral grains (fulgurite) is evidence that a fire was caused by a lightning strike.

Question 23

Erosion is less likely in forest areas after a fire because of the build-up of burned organic material.

Question 24

Fires that spread along the ground fueled by grasses and low shrubs are called _______________.

Question 25

Deliberate deforestation by fire has occurred in Indonesia, where forests are burned to clear space for growing _______________.

Question 26

Soils impervious to water are known as _______________ soils.

Question 27

Sunlight can react with pollutants generated by a wildfire to form _______________.

Question 28

With climate change, more frequent and larger wildfires emit greater amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

Question 29

The amount of burnable material available to a fire is called _______________.

Question 30

Low brush and branches are known as _______________ fuels because they ignite first and then allow the fire to climb into higher treetops.

Question 31

A burned tree with white residue on the west side and black residue on the east side indicates the fire came from the east.

Question 32

A narrow firebreak is usually enough to provide a defensible fireline.

Question 33

Once ground fuels are cleared, radiant heat from nearby burning trees is very unlikely to ignite a home.

Question 34

A controlled fire set intentionally is called a(n) _______________.

Question 35

The U.S. Forest Service was formed in response to a catastrophic wildfire in Idaho and Montana in 1910.

Question 36

Highly trained firefighters who parachute into remote areas of lightning-caused spot fires to exterminate them before they spread out of control are called _______________.

Question 37

A fire deliberately set close to an advancing fire to create a firebreak by using the updraft of the wildfire to draw the fire toward the main fire is called a(n) _______________.

Question 38

The court has not upheld a law requiring forced or "mandatory" evacuation of one's residence due to safety concerns.

Question 39

Firebrands typically fly about 1 km, but can travel up to 20-30 km in extreme cases.

Question 40

The three components of the fire triangle are fuel, heat, and _______________.

Question 41

Burning embers are also called _______________.

Question 42

A convective _______________ of heat draws in new air from all sides and fans flames.

Question 43

What are indefensible locations? Give an example of an area like this. If people choose to live in these areas, what do insurance companies require them to do to protect their homes from fire damage?

Question 44

Fires that burn ahead of the main fire are known as _______________ fires.

Question 45

Some fires in Greece and Italy in 2007 were ignited by arsonists in protected areas to make room for _______________.

Question 46

Describe the best things to do if you are trapped by a fire. Where should you take shelter to protect yourself and why?

Question 47

What are the three mechanisms by which fire ignites and progresses? Describe the mechanisms and how fire spreads.

Question 48

What is fuel loading? What are examples of fuel loading, and what makes fuel combustible?

Question 49

What effect can topography have on the spreading of a fire? What are the dangers of being upslope during a fire?

Question 50

A(n) _______________ fire can form once fire reaches treetops in a densely-packed forest.