As wildfire season continues across the country, thousands of Americans have experienced the fiery conditions as the dry summer heat continues to fuel the flames.
As tens of thousands of Americans have recently been forced to evacuate Spokane, Washington, due to the rapid spread of flames, it is worth understanding key wildfire terms to stay safe and informed.
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Multiple wildfires are raging across the Spokane area, triggering expanding Level 3 "Go Now" orders, and over 700 structures have been destroyed, according to authorities.
Two of the main wildfire terms that can be commonly confused are "contained" and "controlled."
A contained fire is when first responders establish a control line around the perimeter that is expected to stop the spread of flames, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
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A fire can remain out of control even when contained. The fire itself is encircled by factors such as constructed fire lines, roads, streams and more.
A control line is a term for all constructed and natural barriers used to control a fire, including hand-built fire lines, equipment, non-burnable natural barriers and more.
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Despite this, the fire may escape the established control lines if conditions change.
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A controlled fire is one in which there is little threat that a specific fire will escape the established control lines.
Suppression actions constrain the flames to manage the fire behavior.
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Understanding these terms will hopefully help clarify the severity of certain events, which can lead to life-saving warnings for people near the threat.
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