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Burn one down... Forest fires and us Summer is coming here in the northern hemisphere and the experts are predicting a long hot dry affair, here in the UK at least. Maybe for once they're on the money and it will be or maybe it's just to take our mind off the fact we currently have no money, either way it got me thinking, what if it is? What if it's one of those rare years where we see no rain and it's hot as hell, how will that affect Mountainboarding?
Very smelly pads was the first thing to spring to mind but that's nothing new, even on a cold day. Also, the American infatuation with jumping fire on their boards may have to be restricted to low-risk areas!
I had some email correspondence with Munro rider Dylan Warren, he's from Victoria, Australia. They've just had one of their hottest summers on record and you can imagine how hot that must have been. A decades worth of drought, temperatures into the high 40's and winds of 100KPH could only have resulted on one thing, not just fire but fire storms and lots of 'em. The shot above, taken from the Modis Aqua Satellite by NASA shows the massive area these fire storms covered, the worst of which accounted for 120 of the 175 reported deaths over the season. Towns that thought the fire had missed them were caught unawares when a simple change in wind direction put them in the path of the rapidly moving fire fronts. Up to 400 fires were reported in a single day. It a scale we shall never see or even comprehend in the UK. Fire has always been part of Australia's history, much of the land was shaped by deliberate burnings by the aboriginals to create grazing land for animals which they could then hunt but this was something else, another level. Some of the intensity can be felt in these horrifically beautiful pictures from the Boston herald:-
The fires affected 78 individual townships in total and left an estimated 7,500 people homeless.
The majority of the fires were ignited by fallen or clashing power lines caused by the high winds or they were deliberately lit. Other suspected culprits include lightning, cigarette butts, and sparks from power tools. So it seems some were avoidable and some were pure fate. Looking deeper, greenhouse gasses and the changes to our climate it is thought to cause would be the real instigator. Ironically the net effect of the fire was to release a lot more greenhouse gas, which will only add to the issue in future years. Huge Australian fires in 1997 released up to 6 billion tons of CO2, covering Southeast Asia in thick haze and causing a spike in global levels of the gas.
As users of the countryside, Mountainboarders need to be aware of the risks of venturing out into the wilderness during the drier months of the year, for our sakes and for those living in these areas. One careless butt could leave you isolated and cut off from escape, what would you do, how would you survive?
As with most thing in nature, a basic understanding of the dangers can make a big difference so here are a few facts about wild fires that could give you the edge and help you make the right decision:- Don't start fires! Be carefully not to leave burning cigarette butts, camp fires etc. It could be you facing the 50m high red hot consequences.
A sure sign that fire is approaching is if you see fine particles of ash on cars or other flat surfaces.
A faint smell of wood smoke is another obvious sign.
If the ash thickens and the smell of smoke becomes more pungent, then the approaching fire is imminent.
Report it, if you find a fire tell the relevant authorities. However small, it could quickly get out of hand.
One of the first things to remember when escaping danger is that a fire travels uphill far quicker than it travels downhill, we're the downhill experts.
Knowing your terrain and your current position can help too. Think of any roads, or stretches of water such as a lake, river, stream or pond that may be close by that will act as a fire break, slowing it's advance.
Also anywhere there is little or no vegetation which is able to burn
Knowing your trees can also help. Evergreen trees, such as conifers and those which have needles burn far more quickly than deciduous trees.
The fire front will generally follow the wind, hot sparks and embers will also be blown down wind, starting other fires which could leave you cut off and confuse you as to where the main body of fire is.
Look up into the sky and see if you can spot any heat hazy which doesn't seem to be in keeping with the rest of the sky. It could help you identify where to avoid. Natural fibres such as wool are much more fire resistant than synthetics which quickly melt.
A car heats up too much. It's such a small volume of space so isn't a good place to seek refuge. Most people die in forest fires from smoke inhalation rather then being burned alive.
Remember that the trees will fall in the fire, so stay out of falling distance of any if you can.
Stay as low to the ground as possible, smoke rises and you will get more air low down.
You are more likely to be seen and rescued if you are in an area not obscured by vegetation. There is also likely to be less fuel there for the fire.
Avoid areas of dead, dry vegetation. These can virtually explode into flames as the forest fire progresses.
There are four generally excepted survival techniques:-
If the distance isn’t too far, you’re fit and you can clearly see, out-running a fire is not a bad option; however, if you plan to do it for more than a few metres, especially uphill, maybe look at another option. Even the fittest individuals are not able to sustain a maximum pace for even a relatively short period of time without being overrun by rapidly advancing fire and smoke.
If escape is not possible, try and find or even dig a ditch into which you can climb and keep yourself as low down as possible. Curl yourself up into a ball and, where possible, cover yourself up with a blanket or a coat if you have access to these items. If possible, soak the blanket or coat in water first. By making sure you’re low down and covered up, this will give you the best chance of minimising the effects of the suffocating heat and smoke. A fire-front can take 10-15 minutes to pass over. Don't douse yourself and your clothes with water because you could suffer serious burns as the water close to your skin boils. Protect your lungs by breathing through a handkerchief. When the fire has passed, your safest way to proceed is upwind, where the forest fire has already burned out the vegetation
Burning out a safety area is a survival technique that can be effective if the fuels are light such as cured grass and you have sufficient time to do it. The bigger the area, the better. In grasslands, an area the size of a large boardroom may work, while a safety area in a forest needs to be considerably larger.
Otherwise, your only option may be to pass through the fire’s edge into the burned-out area. If you can see a thinner part of the fire front you may be able to make a dash for it. Your likely to sustain serious burns but it could be better than sitting put.
Don't try following running animals to safety. Even if they know a trail that will help them escape, you won't be able to keep up with them and they may just panic and run deeper into the fire. It's not just Australia which suffers from forest fires, at the time of writing there are once again fires sweeping through the forests of California, prime boarding terrain. Here in Europe, the hotter countries such as Greece, Spain and Portugal have also been known to suffer uncontrollable forest blazes during the summer months, Portugal suffering badly in 2005. Normally ignited by careless use of BBQ's and people not being careful enough during the hottest parts of the summer. But one of the few silver linings from the last couple of damp summers is that thankfully forest fires have been few and far between, but as fires are nature's housekeeping, clearing out the dead wood and under brush, there will now be a build up of fuel ready for the next dry spell.
Much of nature needs fire; Many trees in Oz and the U.S.A's Great Redwood's seeds will only germinate after a fire but the problem comes when the wrong conditions mean the whole lot goes up at once.
In the UK our cold damp climate means apart from the odd heather or gorse fire, we're unlikely to see firestorms similar to the ones which laid waste to the Australian forests and cost so many lives. However. those ever cheery weather experts, which to be fair we should listen to about the effects of global warming, are already predicting that there is a sufficiant rise in summer time temperatures for forest fires become a very real possibility in this green and pleasant land. Some experts are already linking the increased ferocity and frequency of the recent fires in Australia and the US to the effects of global warming. So if you are looking for another reason to reduce your carbon footprint; I can't think of a better reason than to help save the already stressed planet's forests from fire. Many thanks to Dylan ( Munro ) & Jason ( MBS ) words by Daz & Smilie Photos: MBS Fire Jumping & photoshopped fire-rider supplied by J Lee. Boards & Fire photos by Decreate Map images : These files are in the public domain because it was created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright. |
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