ANNOUNCER: PRESENTATION OF

DIALOGUE 4 KIDS ON IDAHO

PUBLIC TELEVISION IS MADE

POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS

SUPPORT OF THE LAURA MOORE

CUNNINGHAM

FOUNDATION-COMMITTED TO

FULFILLING THE MOORE'S FAMILY

LEGACY OF HELPING BUILD THE

GREAT STATE OF IDAHO.

JOAN CARTAN HANSEN: COMING UP,

WILDFIRES .

HOW DO THEY GET STARTED, HOW

DO THEY BURN AND HOW AND WHEN

DO WE PUT THEM OUT.

THE SCIENCE OF FIGHTING

WILDFIRES, STAY TUNED,

DIALOGUE 4 KIDS IS NEXT.

(MUSIC)

HANSEN: THANKS FOR JOINING US

TODAY, AND WELCOME TO THE

THIRD SEASON OF DIALOGUE 4

KIDS.

I'M JOAN CARTAN HANSEN.

YOU KNOW TODAY'S TRAGEDIES

BACK EAST ARE KIND OF SCARY

TODAY, BUT WE KNOW THERE ARE

PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WERE

DOING THEIR BEST TO DEAL WITH

IT AND TO HELP KEEP ALL OF US

SAFE.

AND WE WANT PARENTS AND

TEACHERS TO KNOW THAT IDAHO

PUBLIC TELEVISION IS A SAFE

PLACE FOR KIDS TO WATCH.

BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT AT

TIMES LIKE THIS YOU CAN BE

WITH PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT AND

TRY TO KEEP THINGS AS NORMAL

AS POSSIBLE.

AND SO TODAY, WE'RE EXCITED

ABOUT THIS CHANCE TO LEARN

ABOUT WILDFIRES.

AND TO UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE

OF WILDFIRES, YOU FIRST HAVE

TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT

ABOUT FIRE ITSELF.

FIRE IS A CHEMICAL REACTION.

YOU NEED THREE THINGS FOR A

FIRE - OXYGEN, FUEL AND HEAT.

IT'S CALLED A FIRE TRIANGLE.

COMBINE THE ELEMENTS OF THE

TRIANGLE AND YOU GET FIRE.

ELIMINATE JUST ONE, AND THE

FIRE GOES OUT.

THAT'S WHAT FIREFIGHTERS TRY

TO DO.

THEY USE WATER OR CHEMICALS TO

COOL THE FIRE OR ELIMINATE THE

OXYGEN.

THEY REMOVE THE BUSHES, TREES

OR GROUNDCOVER TO LIMIT THE

FUEL.

SOMETIMES FIREFIGHTERS USE A

BACK BURN TO STOP OR DIRECT

THE FIRE.

THEY SET A CONTROLLED BLAZE

AND BURN THE AREA IN THE

FIRE'S PATH THAT ELIMINATES

THE FUEL, SO THE FIRE DOESN'T

HAVE ANY PLACE TO GO.

SOMETIMES LAND MANAGERS SET A

PRESCRIBED FIRE ON PURPOSE OR

LET A NATURALLY STARTED FIRE

BURN.

BUT HOWEVER IT STARTS; THE

IDEA IS THE SAME A PRESCRIBED

BURN MAY REDUCE THE CHANCE OF

A WILDFIRE LATER ON.

AND THAT'S WHAT LAND MANAGERS

WORRY ABOUT, A WILDFIRE-IT'S A

BLAZE THAT'S OUT OF CONTROL.

IT CAN BE IN A FOREST OR A

RANGELAND AND WILDFIRES CAN BE

VERY SCARY.

THEY CREATE THEIR OWN HIGH

WINDS AND THOSE HIGH WINDS CAN

PUSH THE FIRE FURTHER AND

FASTER BURNING EVERYTHING IN

ITS PATH.

WILDFIRES SPREAD IN THREE

PATTERNS-A GROUND FIRE BURNS

THE MATERIAL IN THE SOIL

BENEATH THE SURFACE.

A SURFACE FIRE BURNS FALLEN

BRANCHES AND OTHER MATERIALS

ON THE GROUND.

AND CROWN FIRES BURN THE TOP

LAYERS OF THE TREES.

GROUND FIRES ARE THE HOTTEST

AND MOST DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.

TODAY'S FIREFIGHTERS USE A LOT

OF SCIENCE TO DO THEIR JOB.

THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE

WEATHER WILL DO, THEY NEED TO

KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLANTS OR

FUEL ARE IN THE PATH OF THE

BLAZE, AND THEY NEED TO KNOW

THE GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF

THE LAND.

BUT FIGHTING FIRE ISN'T AN

EXACT SCIENCE, SOMETIMES

THERE'S JUST NO STOPPING A

WILDFIRE.

SCIENTISTS PLAY AN IMPORTANT

ROLE AFTER THE FIRES TOO,

CHARRED LAND CAN ERODE OR WASH

AWAY BECAUSE THERE'S NO

GROUNDCOVER LEFT TO PROTECT

THE SOIL.

NOXIOUS WEEDS CAN CROWD OUT

NATIVE PLANTS.

SO SOON AFTER A FIRE, LAND

MANAGERS HELP REHABILITATE THE

BURNED AREAS BY PLANTING SEEDS

AND USING OTHER LANDSCAPING

TECHNIQUES.

FIRES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF

OUR ECOSYSTEM, SOME TREES LIKE

THE LODGE POLE PINE, ACTUALLY

NEED FIRE TO OPEN UP THEIR

CONES AND RELEASE THEIR SEEDS.

SO WILDFIRES HAVE A GOOD AND A

BAD SIDE, AND IT'S A

SCIENTISTS JOB TO LEARN HOW TO

USE FIRE TO IMPROVE OUR LAND

AND HOW TO KEEP IT FROM

DESTROYING SOMETHING PRECIOUS.

HANSEN: AND JOINING ME NOW TO

TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE

SCIENCE OF WILDFIRES, ARE

RANDY EARDLY HE'S THE FIRE

INFORMATION AND EDUCATION

SPECIALIST FOR THE BUREAU OF

LAND MANAGEMENT HERE IN

SOUTHEAST IDAHO.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE; I

APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON THE

SHOW.

RANDY EARDLEY: GLAD TO BE

HERE.

HANSEN: ALSO JOINING US IS

JOHN OWENS, WHO'S THE FIRE

EDUCATION SPECIALIST FOR THE

BLM AT NIFC, THE NATIONAL

INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER.

THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE YOU

COMING.

JOHN OWENS: GOOD AFTERNOON

JOAN.

HANSEN: ALSO JOINING US IS,

EXCUSE ME, GET THAT OUT THERE,

NANCY WIGGINS A FUELS

MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE

OCHOCO NATIONAL FOREST, THAT'S

ACTUALLY IN OREGON.

NANCY WIGGINS: YES.

HANSEN: THANK YOU FOR COMING

ON, I APPRECIATE THAT.

WIGGINS: THANK YOU FOR HAVING

ME.

HANSEN: AND, OF COURSE, WE'LL

BE TAKING YOUR CALLS AND

QUESTIONS.

GIVE US CALL TOLL FREE HERE AT

1-800-973-9800, OR YOU CAN

EMAIL US AT DIALOGUE4KIDS, NOW

THAT'S THE NUMBER 4,

KIDS@IDPTV.PBS.ORG.

AND REMEMBER, WHEN YOU CALL IN

YOUR QUESTION, YOU AND YOUR

CLASS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO

WIN A SET OF SCIENCE BOOKS.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND START

WITH THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT

CAME IN EARLIER THIS MORNING.

FROM MRS. HUNT'S FOURTH GRADE

CLASS AT CYNTHIA MANN, TAYLOR

ASKED, "HOW MANY WILDFIRES DO

WE HAVE IN IDAHO A YEAR?"

EARDLEY: WELL ACROSS THE STATE

WE PROBABLY HAVE IN THE

NEIGHBORHOOD OF 750 FIRES.

A LOT OF THOSE ARE LIGHTENING

STARTS ACROSS THE FOREST,

WHERE THEY MAY ONLY BURN A

SINGLE TREE.

BUT ACTUALLY OUT OF THAT

NUMBER, PROBABLY MORE THAN

FIFTY PERCENT ARE STARTED BY

HUMANS, AS WELL.

HANSEN: AND GETTING US ON

EMAIL FROM OUR THIRD GRADE

CLASS AT MCKINLEY IS, "WHERE

IS THE WORST FIRE IN THE

U.S.?"

I GUESS RIGHT NOW.

CODY ASKED THAT QUESTION.

OWENS: IN THE U.S.

RIGHT NOW WOULD PROBABLY BE

THERE'S TWO FIRES IN

CALIFORNIA.

THE COLE FIRE IS PROBABLY THE

WORST, UP IN OUTSIDE OF

OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

HANSEN: OKAY AND LET'S GO TO

CRYSTAL IN ST. ANTHONY AT

LINCOLN, CRYSTAL ARE YOU

THERE?

LET'S SEE CRYSTAL CAN YU HEAR

ME?

SHERRY: HELLO.

HANSEN: THERE WE GO.

HEY CRYSTAL.

SHERRY: HI.

HANSEN: WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION

TODAY?

SHERRY: HOW IS THE HABITAT

AFFECTED AND HOW LONG DOES IT

TAKE TO RECUPERATE?

HANSEN: GREAT, OH I'M SORRY

THIS IS SHERRY AT TAFT SCHOOL

IN BOISE.

THANKS.

OKAY.

WIGGINS: HI SHERRY, THAT

REALLY KIND OF DEPENDS ON HOW

INTENSE THE FIRE IS, BUT OFTEN

WE'LL SEE RE-GROWTH STARTING

IN THE FOREST AND THE HABITAT

STARTING TO MEND ITSELF WITHIN

DAYS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE

WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKE

AFTER THE FIRE.

HANSEN: SO HOW DOES, DOES IT

DEPEND ON HOW HOT THE FIRE IS,

DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH DAMAGE IT

DOES?

WIGGINS: YES.

IF IT'S A REAL HOT FIRE IT'LL

TAKE LONGER TO MEND ITSELF.

HANSEN: OKAY.

WIGGINS: AND, AND OFTENTIMES

IF WE GET A RAIN RIGHT

AFTERWARDS THAT, THAT MENDING

WILL OCCUR RAPIDLY.

HANSEN: LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE

IF THIS ONE'S CRYSTAL,

CRYSTAL?

HELLO CRYSTAL?

CRYSTAL: WHAT'S THE WORST FIRE

IN THE IN THE, IN HISTORY?

HANSEN: OKAY IS THIS CRYSTAL?

CRYSTAL: YEAH.

HANSEN: OKAY AND YOU'RE IN

ST. ANTHONY?

CRYSTAL: UH HUH.

HANSEN: OKAY GREAT THANKS FOR

THE QUESTION.

OWENS: WELL PROBABLY THE WORST

FIRE WAS ONE UP IN WISCONSIN

ABOUT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

AND THAT BURNED AN ENTIRE

CITY, A WHOLE TOWN TO THE

GROUND.

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED ABOUT THE

SAME TIME AS THE GREAT CHICAGO

FIRE, BUT IT GOT A LOT LESS

PUBLICITY, BUT IT WAS STILL

VERY DESTRUCTIVE, AND THE

NUMBER OF LIVES THAT WERE LOST

AND THE NUMBER OF STRUCTURES,

AND, I FORGET, HOW MANY

THOUSANDS OF ACRES, BUT

SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND

ACRES.

EARDLEY: THERE WERE SEVERAL

LARGE FIRES AROUND THAT SAME

TIME PERIOD.

WE HAD THE LARGE ONE UP IN

NORTHERN IDAHO THAT BURNED

INTO MONTANA.

OVER IN OREGON, THE TILLAMOOK

FIRE, I THINK, OCCURRED RIGHT

AROUND THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.

THAT WERE VERY LARGE, VERY

DEVASTATING FIRES.

HANSEN: MAX ASKS, "WHAT'S THE

FASTEST WAY TO PUT A FIRE

OUT?"

WIGGINS: OH THAT'S A (LAUGHS)

EARDLEY: THAT REALLY DEPENDS A

LOT ON THE NUMBER OF FACTORS

REGARDING THE FIRE, WHERE IT

IS, WHAT TYPE OF FUEL ITS

BURNING IN, AND THAT, AS YOU

SAW IN THE OPENING SEGMENT

HERE, YOU TRY AND REMOVE ONE

OF THOSE THREE ELEMENTS,

WHETHER IT'S THE FUEL OR COOL

IT DOWN WITH SOME WATER TO

REMOVE THE HEAT, AND,

ACTUALLY, ALL OF THOSE ARE

PRETTY RAPID, AND THAT'S WHAT

WE TRY TO DO IMMEDIATELY AT

EACH FIRE.

HANSEN: SO A GOOD SNOW STORM.

EARDLEY: A GOOD SNOW STORM

ALWAYS WORKS.

(LAUGHTS) OR A NICE DOWNPOUR

OF RAIN.

HANSEN: JENNY AND TANNER ASK,

"HOW DO MOST WILDFIRES START?"

OWENS: ON AVERAGE, MOST OF

THEM ARE PROBABLY STILL HUMAN

CAUSED FROM VARIOUS CAUSES.

SO YOU KNOW VARIOUS METHODS,

BUT MOST OF THEM ARE, ARE

STILL HUMAN CAUSED.

NOW, A GREAT NUMBER OF THEM

HERE IN IDAHO AND THE WEST

ARE, ARE LIGHTENING CAUSED,

BUT NATIONWIDE MOST OF THEM

ARE STILL HUMAN CAUSED.

HANSEN: OKAY WELL LET'S.

EARDLEY: I WAS GOING TO ADD

TOO, THE LIGHTENING CAUSED,

EVEN THOUGH THE HUMAN CAUSED

STARTS, THERE'S MORE, A

GREATER NUMBER OF THEM, AND

LIGHTENING FIRES TEND TO BURN

MORE ACRES, JUST BECAUSE THEY

OCCUR IN SUCH REMOTE AREAS,

AND WE TEND TO GET MULTIPLE

FIRES WHEN A LIGHTENING STORM

COMES THROUGH IT CAN IGNITE

MANY FIRES ALL AT ONCE.

AND SO THEY TEND TO, IN SOME

CASES, BURN MORE ACREAGE THAN

THE HUMAN CAUSES.

HANSEN: OKAY.

LET'S TRY JAMES, IS THIS YOU

JAMES?

JAMES: YES.

HANSEN: HI, WHERE ARE YOU

CALLING FROM?

JAMES: PATTERSON ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL.

HANSEN: PATTERSON ELEMENTARY,

GREAT, WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?

JAMES: HOW COME LODGE POLES

GIVE OFF THEIR SEEDS WHEN THEY

BURNED?

HANSEN: SO WHY DO LODGE POLE

TREES NEED A FIRE TO, TO GET

THEIR SEEDS RELEASED?

JAMES: YES.

HANSEN: OKAY GOOD QUESTION.

WIGGINS: WELL THE HEAT CAUSES

THE CONE TO OPEN UP AND THEN

THE SEEDS WILL DROP OUT.

IT'S JUST THE WAY NATURE

INTENDED FOR IT TO BE.

HANSEN: SO THAT'S JUST A SIGN

THAT NATURE NEEDS FIRE.

WIGGINS: YES.

HANSEN: FIRES AREN'T ALL BAD.

WIGGINS: YES, YES.

EARDLEY: THAT'S ABSOLUTELY

RIGHT, FIRE IS AS MUCH A PART

OF NATURE AS TREES AND WATER

AND SOME SPECIES LIKE THE

LODGE POLE HAVE ADAPTED TO

THAT AND IT'S JUST ALL IN A

NATURAL CYCLE.

HANSEN: JENNA FROM KERSHAW IN

SUGAR CITY ASKS, "IF SOMEONE

IS SURROUNDED BY A WILDFIRE,

WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?"

EARDLEY: HOPEFULLY YOU WOULD

NEVER FIND YOURSELF SURROUNDED

BY FIRE, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER

ONE THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT

IF THERE'S A FIRE IN THE AREA

THAT YOU LEAVE THAT AREA.

BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE

CAUGHT IN THERE.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BEYOND

THAT, IF THEY'RE NEAR A RIVER

OR WATER, THEY COULD CERTAINLY

GET IN IT.

AND JUST LIKE IN A HOUSE FIRE,

I WOULD STAY LOW TO THE

GROUND.

WIGGINS: AND IF YOU'RE, AND IF

YOU'RE NEAR YOUR HOME YOU NEED

TO GO INSIDE YOUR HOME AND,

AND SHUT YOUR CURTAINS AND,

AND ALL THE WINDOWS AND MAKE

YOUR HOME AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE

AND STAY IN YOUR HOME.

HANSEN: YOU KNOW IT'S CALLED

THAT URBAN WILD LAND

INTERFACE, PEOPLE CALL ABOUT,

PEOPLE BUILDING THEIR HOMES IN

THE FOREST.

IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE

THAT'S IN THE FOREST, WHAT CAN

YOU DO TO HELP REDUCE THE

CHANCE THAT A FIRE, A FOREST

FIRE WILL COME IN AND WIPE OUT

YOUR HOUSE?

OWENS: WELL THERE'S A NUMBER

OF THINGS.

ONE IS LOOKING AT YOUR

BUILDING MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY

THE TYPE OF ROOF THAT YOU

HAVE.

MAKE SURE THAT IT'S FIRE

RESISTANT OR FIRE PROOF.

AND LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPING

AROUND YOUR HOUSE SO THAT YOU

DON'T HAVE SHRUBS, TREES,

GOING UP TO YOUR EAVES OR YOUR

ROOF, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE

FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM YOUR

HOUSE.

LOOK WHERE YOU HAVE THINGS

LIKE YOUR FIREWOOD STORED;

MAKE SURE THAT'S AWAY FROM THE

HOUSE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY

BURNING MATERIAL, ANY FUEL

NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE.

TRY AND KEEP THAT YOUR FUEL

LOAD NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE AS LOW

AS POSSIBLE.

HANSEN: SO HAVING ALL THOSE

SHRUBS AND EVERYTHING ARE

REALLY PRETTY, BUT THEY MAY BE

A FIRE DANGER.

OWENS: YEAH, BUT YOU CAN STILL

HAVE SHRUBS AS LONG AS YOU,

YOU KNOW, KEEP THEM LOW AND

KEEP THEM WELL SPACED, SO THAT

THEY DON'T PROVIDE A PATHWAY

FOR, FOR WILD LAND FIRE TO GET

TO YOUR HOUSE.

HANSEN: LET'S GO TO HANNAH,

YOU'RE CALLING FROM TAFT?

HANNAH: YEAH.

HANSEN: YEAH, WHAT'S YOUR

QUESTION TODAY?

HANNAH: IF THERE'S NO WATER,

IF THERE'S NO WATER AROUND

WHAT DO YOU, WHAT ARE THE

TOOLS THAT YOU USE FOR THE

FIRE?

HANSEN: OKAY, THAT'S A GOOD

QUESTION HANNAH.

EARDLEY: WELL A LOT OF IT IS

WE TRY AND REMOVE THE FUEL IN

THE PATH OF THE FIRE, AND THAT

INVOLVES, IT COULD BE USING

BULLDOZERS TO CREATE A LINE,

OR A LOT OF IT'S DONE JUST BY

HAND WITH SHOVELS AND

PULASKIS.

AND WE ALSO USE AIRCRAFT FROM

THE AIR, AND HELICOPTERS CAN

CARRY WATER TO THE FIRE FROM

SOME DISTANCE AWAY.

AND WE ALSO HAVE THE LARGE

AIRCRAFT THAT DROP RETARDANT

ON IT AS WELL.

SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TOOLS

AVAILABLE TO US.

HANSEN: SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO

GO AHEAD AND IF YOU'RE GOING

TO HAVE A FIRE IN THE

BACKCOUNTRY THAT MAY NOT BE

CLOSE TO WATER YOU COULD PUT

SMOKEJUMPERS OUT?

WE'VE GOT SOME VIDEO OF SOME

OF THAT.

EARDLEY: YEAH SMOKEJUMPERS AND

WE'RE USING A LOT MORE THESE

DAYS OF RAPPELLERS TOO, THAT

RAPPEL DOWN A ROPE OUT OF A

HELICOPTER TO GET INTO THOSE

AREAS.

HANSEN: YOU HAVE TO BE PRETTY

BRAVE TO GET ON AN AIRPLANE

AND JUMP OUT INTO THE MIDDLE

OF A FIRE, WHAT'S IT LIKE

BEING A SMOKEJUMPER?

WIGGINS: I CAN'T ANSWER THAT

ONE; I'VE NEVER BEEN A

SMOKEJUMPER.

(LAUGHS)

EARDLEY: I HAVEN'T EITHER.

HANSEN: IT'S SOME PRETTY

DANGEROUS STUFF, BUT PRETTY

IMPORTANT.

EARDLEY: YES.

HANSEN: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO

GET SOME, TO GET PEOPLE THAT

CLOSE INTO THOSE REMOTE PARTS

OF THE COUNTRY?

EARDLEY: WELL THE GOAL IS, FOR

A NUMBER OF YEARS, IS WE SORT

OF HAD A MANDATE TO SUPPRESS

ALL FIRES AS SOON AS WE COULD.

AND FRANKLY, OVER THE LAST

FIFTY YEARS WE GOT VERY GOOD

AT THAT, IN FACT, EVEN TODAY

WE PROBABLY SUPPRESS MORE THAN

NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF ALL

FIRE STARTS WITHIN THE FIRST

24 HOURS, AND PEOPLE NEVER

HEAR ABOUT THEM ON THE NEWS

BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN SO GOOD

AT PUTTING THEM OUT.

AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE

HAVE IS WE GET TO THEM QUICKLY

WITH THE TOOLS TO PUT THEM

OUT.

HANSEN: RYAN (INAUDIBLE) SENDS

IN A QUESTION FROM KERSHAW

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, WHAT WAS

THE LONGEST, OR THE LARGEST, I

BET IT'S LARGEST, WILDFIRE IN

HISTORY?

IS THE 1910 FIRE?

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE LARGE

ONE, BUT THE 1910 IS OBVIOUSLY

IN OUR HISTORY, IDAHO'S

HISTORY, PROBABLY.

EARDLEY YOU KNOW YOU COULD

MAYBE SPEAK NATIONWIDE.

OWENS: I MEAN A LOT OF FIRES

HERE IN THE NORTHWEST, THE

YACOLT FIRE WENT FROM

ESSENTIALLY PORTLAND, WHAT IS

NOW LONGVIEW, WASHINGTON.

AND, AGAIN THE FIRE IN

WISCONSIN WAS VERY LARGE AND

MILLIONS OF ACRES.

PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET THAT IN

THE 1800S THERE WERE A LOT OF

LARGE WILDFIRES IN THE UPPER

MIDWEST WHERE THEY WERE JUST

DEVELOPING THAT PART OF THE

COUNTRY THEN.

SO YOU KNOW WILDFIRES HAPPEN

ACROSS THE NATION.

HANSEN: AND THEY, THEY WOULD

BURN THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS

OF ACRES.

OWENS: OH YEAH BECAUSE.

EARDLEY: EVEN AS LATE AS 1992,

HERE IN IDAHO WE HAD THE

FOOTHILLS FIRE THAT OCCURRED,

WELL IT STARTED BETWEEN BOISE

AND MOUNTAIN HOME AND IT

BURNED 253,000, MORE THAN

QUARTER OF A MILLION ACRES.

HANSEN: MARK ASKS FROM

MCKINLEY, "WHAT'S THE HARDEST

FIRE TO PUT OUT?"

IS ONE FIRE WORSE THAN

ANOTHER?

WIGGINS: WELL THE LARGER THEY

GET THE HARDER THEY ARE TO PUT

OUT.

BUT THEY SPOKE ABOUT CROWN

FIRES AN OFTENTIMES WHEN WE

START HAVING A CROWN FIRE

THOSE ARE VERY DIFFICULT FIRES

FOR US TO GET, BECAUSE THEY'RE

IN, IN THE FUELS THAT WE CAN'T

GET TO.

WHERE, AS RANDY REFERRED TO

TAKING THE FUEL AWAY ON THE

GROUND, WHERE WE CAN DO THAT

AND IF THEY'RE ON THE GROUND

THEN WE CAN PUT THOSE OUT.

BUT WHEN THEY GET IN THE

TREES, IT TAKES AWAY A LOT OF

OUR RESOURCE POWER.

EARDLEY: YOU KNOW I, I THINK

TERRAIN IS A FACTOR TOO, IN

THAT IF THEY'RE IN REAL STEEP

MOUNTAINSIDES FOR INSTANCE,

AND ANY, ANY FOREST FIRE WILL

CREATE ITS OWN WEATHER AND ITS

OWN WINDS AND THEY BECOME SORT

OF AN EVENT IN AND OF

THEMSELVES.

AND YOU PLACE THAT ON, IN SOME

REAL RUGGED TERRAIN AND THOSE

ARE TYPICALLY DIFFICULT TO PUT

OUT.

HANSEN: WE SEE HERE SOME

PICTURE OF THE CREWS GOING IN

AND ACTUALLY CLEANING OUT SOME

OF THE, THE TERRAIN AND.

LET'S GO TO BRIANNA IN

EDGEMONT, BRIANNA?

BRIANNA: HELLO?

HANSEN: HI THERE.

BRIANNA: HI.

HANSEN: WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION

TODAY?

BRIANNA: MY QUESTION IS DO ALL

THE ANIMALS IN THE FOREST FIRE

DIE OR DO THEY LIVE?

HANSEN: AND YOU'RE CALLING

FROM IDAHO FALLS?

BRIANNA: YEAH.

HANSEN: OKAY GREAT THANKS.

OWENS: MOST OF THE ANIMALS

SURVIVE WILDFIRES, OR ARE

ADAPTED TO IT.

FIRE IS A NATURAL PART OF THE

ECOSYSTEM AND PART OF NATURE

AND MOST ANIMALS ARE, GREW UP

WITH FIRE AND THEY'RE, MOST

ANIMALS ARE ABLE TO ESCAPE

WILD LAND FIRES.

UNLESS THEY, THE WILD LAND

FIRES ARE MOVING VERY RAPIDLY

OR IF IT'S VERY HEAVY FUELS

WHERE IT'S REALLY HOT AND

THEY'RE PRODUCING A LOT OF

HEAT, MOST ANIMALS TEND TO

ESCAPE.

HANSEN: OKAY, LET'S GO TO

BOBBIE IN STODDARD.

BOBBIE ARE YOU THERE?

BOBBIE: YEAH.

HANSEN: HI, WHERE YOU CALLING

FROM?

BOBBIE: RATHDRUM.

HANSEN: OKAY WHAT'S, WHAT'S

YOUR QUESTION?

BOBBIE: I WANTED TO KNOW IF

THERE'S ELECTRIC CHARGE IN THE

GROUND THAT CAUSES LIGHTENING

TO STRIKE TO CAUSE A FIRE?

HANSEN: OKAY, SO IS IT JUST

THAT TREES ARE TALL AND

THEREFORE THE TALLEST THING IN

THE AREA THAT ATTRACTS THE

LIGHTENING TO START THE FIRE,

WHAT, WHAT GIVES?

EARDLEY: WE NEED A

METEOROLOGIST HERE.

(LAUGHS) BUT IT IS A

DIFFERENCE IN THE ELECTRICAL

FIELD OR ALONG THE GROUND AND

WHAT'S CREATED IN THE CLOUD

THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER AND

IT IS TYPICALLY THE TALLEST

STRUCTURES OR, IN THIS CASE,

TREES THAT WOULD BE HIT BY

THAT, THAT STRIKE COMING DOWN.

HANSEN: SO IN A THUNDERSTORM,

GET, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THE

TALLEST THING OUT THERE.

EARDLEY: ABSOLUTELY NOT.

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.

(LAUGHS)

HANSEN: ALL RIGHT.

SHEILA IN DRIGGS ELEMENTARY,

SHEILA YOU THERE?

SHEILA: YEAH.

HANSEN: WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION

TODAY?

SHEILA: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE

TO TRAIN A WILDLIFE

FIREFIGHTER?

HANSEN: SO HOW LONG DOES IT,

HOW MUCH TRAINING DO YOU NEED

TO BE A FIREFIGHTER?

SHEILA: YEAH.

HANSEN: OKAY GOOD QUESTION.

EARDLEY: GOOD QUESTION.

WIGGINS: THAT IS.

AND TYPICALLY WE HAVE A SCHOOL

THAT WE GO TO THAT'S FOR, TO

BECOME A BASIC FIREFIGHTER

THAT'S A WEEK LONG.

BUT WE CONTINUE OUR EDUCATION

ALL THE TIME, WE TRAIN AND WE

LEARN NEW THINGS EVERY YEAR.

AND EVERY TIME WE GO OUT ON

THE FIRE WE, WE LEARN.

SO THAT'S A PROCESS THAT NEVER

STOPS.

HANSEN: SO IF YOU WANT TO BE

SOMEONE WHO HELPS LEARN ABOUT

HOW TO PREVENT FIRES AND, DO

YOU NEED TO GO TO COLLEGE?

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU SHOULD

STUDY?

WIGGINS: COLLEGE IS ALWAYS

GOOD.

(LAUGHS)

EARDLEY: YEAH IT IS AND

THERE'S A NUMBER OF AVENUES

THAT YOU CAN TAKE IN THAT FROM

SCIENCE TO COMPUTERS.

ONE THING THAT THE KIDS MAY

NOT KNOW IS THAT ON EACH OF

THESE BIG FIRES THERE'S ONE

PERSON WHOSE CALLED A FIRE

BEHAVIOR ANALYST, AND HE'S OUT

THERE WITH HIS LAPTOP COMPUTER

AND HE, HE DOES MODELING AND

HE LOOKS AT THINGS LIKE THE

WEATHER AND THE FUEL

CONDITIONS, THE TERRAIN, AND

HE PUTS ALL THAT INFORMATION

TOGETHER IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM

THAT HE HAS AND, AND THEY TRY

AND PREDICT, SAY IN THE

MORNING, WHAT THAT FIRE'S

GOING TO DO IN THE AFTERNOON.

HANSEN: AND SHE.

EARDLEY: AND SHE ABSOLUTELY.

AND THAT'S A VERY, VERY

IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THEY PLAY

ON THE FIRE.

HANSEN: KENNAN ASKS, "WHAT ARE

THE DIFFERENT COLORS IN A

FIRE, THE BLUE, THE YELLOW AND

THE ORANGE?"

IF YOU LOOK AT A FIRE THEY

HAVE, IT'S NOT ALL ONE COLOR,

IT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT

COLORS.

OWENS: A LOT OF THE COLOR

DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF FUEL;

THE TEMPERATURE IS A GOOD

INDICATION OF THE COLOR.

THE HOTTER THE FIRE THE, THE

DIFFERENT THE COLOR IS.

REDS AND ORANGES, I FORGET

WHAT TEMPERATURE THOSE ARE AND

THEN YOU GO UP FROM THERE.

AND WILD LAND FIRE, WILD LAND

FIRES CAN BURN ANYWHERE FROM

500-600 DEGREES UP TO SEVERAL

THOUSAND DEGREES.

THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF COLOR

COMBINATIONS.

EVEN, EVEN INTO THE INFRARED

THAT WE CAN'T SEE.

HANSEN: LET'S GO TO PARKER AT

TAFT IN BOISE, PARKER?

PARKER: HI.

HANSEN: HI.

WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?

PARKER: WHAT IS THE HOTTEST

FIRE IN DEGREE FAHRENHEIT?

HANSEN: WE JUST SAID THAT'S

GOOD TIME TO SEGUE INTO THAT

QUESTION.

OWENS: AH GOSH I'M TRYING TO

THINK OF YOU KNOW THE

TEMPERATURES THAT PEOPLE WERE,

WERE GIVING ME AT ONE TIME IT

WAS LIKE FIVE, SIX THOUSAND

DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND SO

THOSE ARE VERY HOT.

HANSEN: LET'S SEE JARED FROM

GREENHURST IN NAMPA, DID I SAY

YOUR NAME RIGHT?

JARED: YES.

HANSEN: GOOD, WHAT'S YOUR,

WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?

JARED: WHAT'S A SAFE DISTANCE

TO STAY AWAY FROM A FIRE

WITHOUT GETTING YOUR LUNGS

DAMAGED?

HANSEN: OKAY, HOW FAR AWAY

SHOULD YOU BE FROM A FIRE TO

NOT GET HURT BY THE FIRE?

WIGGINS: WELL ANYTIME YOU SEE

A FIRE, YOU SHOULD GET AWAY AS

FAR AS POSSIBLE; BECAUSE

THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE

HAPPENING IN THE AIR THAT YOU

MAY NOT KNOW, THERE'S HOT

GASSES, AND SO EVEN THOUGH THE

FIRE MAY NOT SEEM CLOSE TO

YOU, THOSE HOT GASSES COULD BE

THERE AND THEY COULD HURT YOUR

LUNGS.

AND THERE'S ALSO SMOKE THAT

YOU DON'T SEE.

SO PROBABLY THE, THE BEST RULE

OF THUMB IS GET AWAY AS FAR AS

YOU CAN.

HANSEN: DILLON IN ST. ANTHONY,

FROM LINCOLN.

DILLON: YEAH.

HANSEN: WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION?

DILLON: WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT

STUFF THAT THEY DUMP ON THE

FIRES, LIKE IN THE JETS AND

STUFF.

HANSEN: UH HUH WHAT'S THAT

FIRE RETARDANT MADE OF?

DILLON: YES.

HANSEN: THAT, THAT YOU SEE THE

ORANGE STUFF THAT GETS DUMPED

OUT OF THE PLANES?

DILLON: UH HUH.

HANSEN: GOOD.

EARDLEY: THAT'S ACTUALLY WATER

AND FERTILIZER.

AND THE ONLY REASON THAT IT'S

RED IS SO THAT WE CAN SEE ON

THE GROUND WHERE IT IS, AND I

KNOW SOMETIMES THAT TAKES A

LONG TIME TO BREAKDOWN AND,

AND WE LOOKED AT, FOR A NUMBER

OF YEARS, USING THE RETARDANT

THAT WAS CLEAR, THAT DIDN'T

HAVE THE RED IN IT, BUT AS FAR

AS TACTICS AND TRYING TO PUT

THE FIRE OUT IT WAS TOO

DIFFICULT TO SEE ON THE GROUND

WHERE YOU'D PUT IT.

AND, BUT THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT

IT IS, IS FERTILIZER AND

WATER.

HANSEN: IN THAT'S THE IDEA

THAT IT REMOVES THE OXYGEN IN

THE FIRE TRIANGLE.

EARDLEY: IT DOES.

HANSEN: IT DUMPS DOWN AND IT

REMOVES THE OXYGEN.

COVERS IT UP?

EARDLEY: IT ACTUALLY, IT

ACTUALLY DOES A COUPLE OF

THINGS, ONE IS IT DOES REMOVE

THE OXYGEN ALONG THAT, BUT WE

ALSO USE IT SOMETIMES TO

PRE-TREAT AN AREA AND WHAT IT

DOES IS COAT, THEY DROP IT

SUCH A DISTANCE AND AS IT

COMES DOWN IT SORT OF SWIRLS

AND IT COATS EVEN UNDER, UNDER

PLANTS TO RETARD THE FIRE ONCE

IT GETS THERE.

HANSEN: OKAY ERICA WROTE IN

AND ASKED, "WHAT HAPPENS TO

PEOPLE WHO START FIRES ON

PURPOSE?"

OWENS: ARSONIST THEY'RE, IF

THEY'RE CAUGHT THEY CAN BE

LIABLE FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGES

THAT THEIR FIRE HAS CAUSED, AS

WELL AS THE CRIMINAL STATUTES

THAT ARE INVOLVED.

EARDLEY: THAT'S RIGHT THEY CAN

GO TO, THEY CAN GO TO JAIL.

HANSEN: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE

TO PUT THE YELLOWSTONE

WILDFIRES OUT?

THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE MOST

FAMOUS IN, IN RECENT HISTORY,

THE FIRES IN YELLOWSTONE.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE THOSE,

BASICALLY, AS I RECALL IT WAS

SNOW THAT BASICALLY PUT THOSE

FIRES OUT.

WIGGINS: YEAH IT WAS IT WAS.

OWENS: YEAH SNOW IN NOVEMBER,

SO THEY STARTED IN JUNE AND

SOME OF THEM BURNED INTO

NOVEMBER.

HANSEN: IS THERE A TIME OF DAY

THAT FIRES BURN BETTER THAN

OTHERS, AND WE'VE GOT SOME

NIGHTTIME FOOTAGE HERE THAT

OBVIOUSLY THAT'S MORE DRAMATIC

THE CONTRAST WITH THE FIRE,

BUT USUALLY DOESN'T FIRES,

THEY DIE DOWN AT NIGHT OR

WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE TYPICAL

FIRE DAY LIKE?

EARDLEY: WELL WHAT, AT NIGHT,

ESPECIALLY THE LATER YOU GET

IN THE SEASON, THE

TEMPERATURES DROP MORE AT

NIGHT AND THE HUMIDITY COMES

UP AND HUMIDITY IS A FACTOR

THAT WE LOOK AT IN FIRE

BEHAVIOR TOO AND HOW FIRES

BURN.

TYPICALLY, THEY WILL BE THE

MOST; THEY WILL IGNITE THE

EASIEST AND SPREAD THE MOST

RAPID, LATE AFTERNOON IN MOST

AREAS IN THE COUNTRY.

HANSEN: OKAY.

JOHN IN SKYVIEW, HERE IN

NAMPA.

JOHN: HI.

HANSEN: HI WHAT'S YOUR

QUESTION?

JOHN: I WAS WONDERING DID THEY

USE LIKE MOATS LIKE AROUND A

CASTLE TO DRAW FIRE LINES?

HANSEN: OKAY AS OPPOSED TO A,

LIKE A BULLDOZER?

JOHN: YEAH YOU KNOW THEY FILL

'EM WITH WATER?

HANSEN: OKAY USE A WATER

BREAK?

JOHN: YEAH.

OWENS: GENERALLY NOT, MAINLY

BECAUSE WATER IS SO HARD TO

USUALLY GET TO FIRES.

WATER IS A VERY PRECIOUS

COMMODITY ON FIRES AND IF YOU

CAN BUILD A FIRE BREAK WITH

BULLDOZERS, JUST REMOVING THE

FUELS THAT WAY MOST PEOPLE

WOULD PREFER TO USE THE WATER

DIRECTLY ON THE FIRE ITSELF.

HANSEN: OKAY DEVIN AT EDGEMONT

ELEMENTARY.

DEVIN: HI.

HANSEN: HI.

DEVIN: MY QUESTION IS HAS

THERE EVER BEEN A FIRE THAT

HAS NEVER BEEN STOPPED IN LIKE

TWO OR THREE YEARS?

HANSEN: HAVE WE EVER RUN

ACROSS A FIRE THAT WE COULDN'T

STOP?

EARDLEY: NO, BUT NATURE TENDS

TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT

FIRE IS A PART OF NATURE AND

EVEN THOSE THAT GET SO LARGE

LIKE THE YELLOWSTONE FIRES,

THAT THEY MAY BURN RIGHT INTO

THE WINTER AND IT'S ULTIMATELY

NATURE THAT PUTS THEM OUT IN

THE FORM OF SNOW OR WINTER

RAINS.

HANSEN: WHEN IS A FIRE GOOD?

WIGGINS: WELL FIRE IS FIRE IS

GOOD WHEN IT BURNS AT THE

APPROPRIATE TEMPERATURE.

USUALLY WE TRY AND, AND

CONTROL THE FIRE IN SUCH A WAY

THAT, THAT THE HEAT AND THE

WIND AND, AND ALL THE THINGS

THAT MAKE A FOREST FIRE

DEVASTATING, WE TRY AND DO

THOSE UNDER A CONTROLLED

PERIOD OF TIME.

SO IT HAS TO DO WITH THE WIND

AND THE HEAT MAINLY.

EARDLEY: BUT FIRES ARE GOOD

BECAUSE THEY, THERE ARE SOME

CASES WHERE THEY CAN BE VERY

BENEFICIAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

THEY DO REPLENISH SOME

NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL.

A LOT OF TIMES IN THEIR

NATURAL REGIME, IN OTHER

WORDS, IN AN AREA WHERE A FIRE

NATURALLY WOULD OCCUR, YOU

WOULD FIND PROBABLY HEALTHIER

HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE AND

WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THIS

WHERE WE, WE SUPPRESSED THEM

ALL BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY

PEOPLE THAT WE NEEDED TO WORRY

ABOUT.

AND ACTUALLY HUMAN, PEOPLE'S

SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE

PRIORITY.

HANSEN: ALL RIGHT YOU KNOW AND

WE'VE RUN OUT OF TIME.

WE'VE JUST HAD SO MANY GREAT

QUESTIONS.

WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY

CALLING IN.

I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR GUESTS,

RANDY EARDLEY, JOHN OWENS AND

NANCY WIGGINS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

I APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US.

AND, OF COURSE, WE APPRECIATE

YOU JOINING US.

THERE'S MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

WILDFIRES, YOU CAN FIND THAT

AT THE IDAHO, THE DIALOGUE 4

KIDS WEBSITE AT

IDAHOPTV.ORG/DIALOGUE4KIDS.

SO GO AHEAD AND CHECK OUT THAT

WEBSITE, THERE'S LOTS OF GREAT

LINKS THERE.

EDUCATORS CAN SIGN UP FOR

EMAIL ALERTS ABOUT DIALOGUE 4

KIDS, THEY CAN SEND THAT EMAIL

REQUEST TO

LEARNINGýÿSERVICES@IDPTV.PBS.OR

G.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

YOU CAN JUST GIVE US A CALL

HERE, OR YOU CAN SEND ME AN

EMAIL AND I CAN SEND IT ON.

AND REMEMBER WHEN YOU SEND IN

YOUR QUESTIONS, YOU CAN SIGN

UP FOR OUR, OR YOU'RE

AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED IN OUR

BOOK, FREE BOOK CONTEST AND

WE'LL BE GIVING IT AWAY NEXT

TIME ON DIALOGUE 4 KIDS,

THAT'LL BE ON OCTOBER 9TH.

WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT

ELECTRICITY.

SO GO AHEAD AND FAX IN YOUR

QUESTIONS, OR EMAIL THEM, OR

CALL THEM IN, THAT AIRS

OCTOBER 9TH AT 2:00 P.M.

MOUNTAIN, AGAIN 1:00 P.M.

PACIFIC.

AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING

HERE AND WE'LL SEE YOU HERE

AGAIN NEXT TIME ON DIALOGUE 4

KIDS.

(MUSIC)

NARRATOR: PRESENTATION OF

DIALOGUE 4 KIDS ON IDAHO

PUBLIC TELEVISION IS MADE

POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS

SUPPORT OF THE LAURA MOORE

CUNNINGHAM

FOUNDATION-COMMITTED TO

FULFILLING THE MOORE'S FAMILY

LEGACY OF HELPING BUILD THE

GREAT STATE OF IDAHO.

TO PURCHASE A VIDEOTAPE OF

THIS PROGRAM, PLEASE CONTACT

IDAHO PUBLIC TELEVISION AT

1-800-543-6868.

1-800-543-6868.