Management
How people deal with Wildfires?
Controlled burning, also known as prescribed burning, involves setting planned fires to maintain the health of a forest. These burns are scheduled for a time when the fire will not pose a threat to the public or to fire managers. In addition, forest conditions should call for a controlled burn and weather conditions should be right to allow burning but not enable a fire to spread out of control. Materials burned in a planned fire include dead grass, fallen tree branches, dead trees, and thick undergrowth.
1. Roofing material: Use Class A fire-rated roofing like metal, tile, slate, or composite.
2. Exterior walls: Choose brick, stone, stucco, or fiber-cement for exterior walls.
3. Deck: Build decks from composite, concrete, or terrace materials for fire resistance.
4. Windows: Install double-paned windows for slower fire penetration and energy efficiency.
5. Vents and eaves: Protect vents and eaves with 1/8-inch wire mesh to block entry points.
To support societies becoming more resilient when acting against forests fires, the SAFERS project (‘Structured Approaches for Forest Fire Emergencies in Resilient Societies’) will create an open and integrated platform featuring a forest fire decision support system. The platform will use information from different sources: earth observations from Copernicus and GEOSS , fire sensors in forests, topographic data, weather forecasts and even crowdsourced data from social media.
Being a firefighter is a noble service profession – one that average citizens rely on heavily in case of emergencies. Firefighters don’t just run into burning buildings, they are often first responders on the scene of explosions, natural disasters, wildfires, traffic accidents and other catastrophes. The demanding job can take both a physical and mental toll on those who perform it.
Predictive Services plays a key role in wildfire management by providing critical data on fire weather, danger, and resources. This information helps strategically position firefighters and equipment. Their offerings include weekly and monthly fire potential outlooks, regular intelligence reports based on wildfire activity, and detailed annual summaries.
1. 100 firefighters per year are arrested for starting fires
2. From 1603 until 1867, Japanese firefighters fought fires in a “different” kind of way. They wet themselves with hoses so they would be less flammable (causing their uniforms to weigh up to 75 pounds).
3. A firefighter needs 100 hours of training before legally being allowed to enter the interior of a burning building.
4. How long do you think firefighters have to get dressed? Less than two minutes!
