miles per hour?
2007-10-26 10:52:06 · 9 answers · asked by Panda Baby 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
that depends on windspeed and direction as related to the ease of burning the fuel and weather it's buring uphill or downhill.
the faster the wind, the faster it spreads.
the sharper the incline the faster it spreads, (and the converse too, fires burn really fast uphill, but fairly slow downhill)
the dryer and higher energy the fuel the faster it burns.
2007-10-26 10:54:53 · answer #1 · answered by The greatest and the best. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live and work in Orange County, Cali (only a couple of miles from the worst ones this past week) so I see it's effect...
Given plenty of dry brush to fuel them, two factors determine brush fire speed ... wind and relative altitude of neighboring brush. Fire burns faster uphill. Wind pushes fire along to neighboring brush fast. So a wind that blows uphill is bad news if you're on that hill above the fire.
Only time people are caught and killed by fires, exempting all the knuckleheads who refuse to evacuate their homes when told to do so, are people on grassy hills during windy conditions, with wind blowing uphill. Sadly, most of these are firefighters on the ground trying to put it out. At these times, the fires can move faster than a firefighter in full gear can possibly run.
With no fire fighting gear on, you can usually outrun wild brush fires ... just be sure to run downhill and against the wind if possible. If you don't think you can escape, then create a "fire break" on the downwind side. (Rent and watch "Gods must be Crazy, Part 2" to see this demonstrated and explained in African grassland fire ... Netflix has this DVD.)
2007-10-26 18:09:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wildfires here in South Australia travel real fast both in forest plantations and grass land but it all depends on the FFDI (Forest Fire Danger Index) or GFDI (Grass Fire Danger Index) if either of these is 51 or above then a fire will move real fast if they are 90 or above you've got a firestorm
2007-10-26 23:45:43 · answer #3 · answered by rstewart0403 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on many variables. How strong the wind is and what direction it is blowing. How much fuel the fire has and in what direction is more fuel. How the humans are trying to stop it. Etc.
2007-10-26 17:55:39 · answer #4 · answered by Frosty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That all depends on the conditions! Here in SoCal, we are saying TOO FAST!
2007-10-26 17:55:05 · answer #5 · answered by o7mistique 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Faster than you can run!
2007-10-26 17:55:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it depends on wind.air presure
2007-10-26 17:55:21 · answer #7 · answered by steven d 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ask Arnold Schwarzeneger. (Or however you spell his name)
(Lol)
2007-10-26 17:54:40 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
why do you even care?
2007-10-26 17:56:16 · answer #9 · answered by Jess A 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋