Wildfires fueled by dry, windy conditions have destroyed dozens of homes in Texas and threatened hundreds of others there and in Oklahoma and Florida this March. They’re a sharp reminder to be prepared for what forecasters warn is likely to be a risky spring for wildfires, particularly in the southern Plains and Southwest.
I’m a fire ecologist and director of the Southern Fire Exchange for the University of Florida. Here are six terms you’ll often hear when people talk about wildfires that are useful to understand, both for preparing for fire season and gauging the risk when fires start.
