The Perverse Policies That Fuel Wildfires

Re:The Perverse Policies That Fuel Wildfires by toast0 on Tuesday February 06, 2024 @05:01PM (#39281345)

I live in a wooded area in Washington state, and I'm not too worried about my buildings, because I have a relatively huge clearing around my house and garage. And I don't live in my outbuilding that's kind of too close to the forest. But I'd still need to evacuate, somehow, if there were a forest fire. The smoke would be dangerous, I imagine utility power would be lost, and my generator is actually a couple trees into the woods.

Insurance companies could presumably do inspections of clearings and cancel or charge more if you don't have sufficient clearing, but municipalities aren't going to like the tree cutting that results.

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Re:The Perverse Policies That Fuel Wildfires by dredmorbius on Wednesday February 07, 2024 @10:00AM (#39289354)

What's hard to appreciate about wildfire is just how horrific conditions can be.

Yes, defensible space helps, but temperatures can exceed 1,000 to 2,000 F / 500 -- 1,000 C. Sustained exposure to that can damage all kinds of materials, let alone be difficult to survive. Even at considerable distance the radiant heat of even a smaller wildfire is quite palpable, something I've had personal experience of.

The fire will also reduce or remove available oxygen, there can be tornadic-ferocity winds (and what the winds blow), embers, and all manner of other threats.

Smoke is only one of your worries.

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