Why MY fire is hotter than YOUR fire!
Simply Said: THE QUESTION
How come we have so many "brush" fires in South Florida and WHY are they harder to extinguish? First, they are not really "brush fires" as much as they are "Muck Fires"
In South Florida we have the EVERGLADES next door....talk about tropical...ask the Gators & snakes!
MUCK is a low area of dried up MUD. When it hardens it has the SAME compounds as CHARCOAL...SO, a "MuckFire" is harder to put
out. We also have what is called "FlatWinds" which is winds that are stagnant and press down LOW to the ground that actually flames the fire.
Usually LIGHTNING is the main cause followed by IDIOTS & Campfires not put out correctly...you have to make sure your campfire is
cold and not still warm to the touch. The MUCK actually acts as a
Conductor of the Lightning. The FlatWinds help it spread.
PROCESS: Lightning hits the ground...the grass acts like a "wick"for ignition. If winds are STRONG, only the grass burns. If wind is "flatwind"
& low, pressing down and stagnant (doesn't move much) it will flame the fire and spread it.
BACKFIRES: Where firefighters dig a safety trench ahead of the fire can't be done because it is MUCK & not regular DIRT.
CyberHugs, Mrs.B.
How come we have so many "brush" fires in South Florida and WHY are they harder to extinguish? First, they are not really "brush fires" as much as they are "Muck Fires"
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| Dried Muck in the Everglades of Florida |
In South Florida we have the EVERGLADES next door....talk about tropical...ask the Gators & snakes!
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| Aerial View of Florida Everglades |
MUCK is a low area of dried up MUD. When it hardens it has the SAME compounds as CHARCOAL...SO, a "MuckFire" is harder to put
out. We also have what is called "FlatWinds" which is winds that are stagnant and press down LOW to the ground that actually flames the fire.
Usually LIGHTNING is the main cause followed by IDIOTS & Campfires not put out correctly...you have to make sure your campfire is
cold and not still warm to the touch. The MUCK actually acts as a
Conductor of the Lightning. The FlatWinds help it spread.
PROCESS: Lightning hits the ground...the grass acts like a "wick"for ignition. If winds are STRONG, only the grass burns. If wind is "flatwind"
& low, pressing down and stagnant (doesn't move much) it will flame the fire and spread it.
BACKFIRES: Where firefighters dig a safety trench ahead of the fire can't be done because it is MUCK & not regular DIRT.
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| They come close NOW YOU KNOW WHY MY FIRE IS HOTTER THAN YOURS! |
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| Thought I would throw in (not literally)a Florida Panther.. Have lived in Florida for 73 years & have never seen one yet! Is that a good thing?! Mrs.B. |
