The Dixie wildfire in northern California is the largest ever in the state's history. Are the national forests, like the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Northeast Georgia, at risk for fires like this?
The short answer is yes, according to Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Public Affairs Specialist Steven Bekkerus. He said the South actually sees a lot of wildfires.
"We actually have more fires in terms of number of fires in the south than we do out west because we have more people. Eight out of 10 fires are caused by people, so we have more numbers of fires," he said. "They typically aren't as intense as we are more developed, have more roads and ways to stop those fires, and it's just a different ecosystem than out West which is more of a desert, arid environment."
Bekkerus said about 90 Georgia firefighters were out West helping with the wildfires, including the Alder and Trail Creek fires in Montana. Wildfires are extinguished using a combination of water and containment.
"What you try to do is build containment lines, which is around a road, a river, a stream, or it could be a bulldozer line down to the mineral social, or even a hand line by firefighters out there with their shovels and axes and rakes, trying to clear a path that goes all the way down to the soil," he said.
"When the fire reaches that path, it runs out of that fuel on the fire, whether its sticks, leaves, trees, grass, if we can eliminate that fuel, the fire will put itself out."
Then, Bekkerus said fire crews go in and "mop up" to prevent any reigniting.
With the majority of fires resulting from human error, Bekkerus said its key to use preventative methods. That includes homeowners living in or among the forests being "fire wise."
"We ask that homeowners help us, help the firefighters out, by creating what we call defense level space," he said. "This is removing vegetation and other flammable materials around your house, so if a fire does come through our area that your home won't be impacted. It's also putting screens over your vents, replacing wooden shingles with metal or asphalt shingles that are less susceptible to fire."
Bekkerus said embers can blow up to a mile away and start a new fire.
"And that's what we're seeing out West, a lot of these homes are being burned up by the flames and the big fires you see on the news, but it's the floating embers that are floating a mile away and getting under your shingles or getting into your vents and getting into your attic, the homes are burning from the inside out."
In Georgia, wildfire season is fall and early spring, but fires can happen at any time. To manage the threat of wildfires, Bekkerus said the Forest Service will use prescribed burns.
