Wildfires threaten Franklin, crews battle to contain wildfires (2024)

FAQs

What is the most destructive wildfire in US history? ›

On October 8, 1871, the most devastating forest fire in American history occurred in northeast Wisconsin and Michigan. The fire is named for the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin which sustained some of the worst damages; however, the fire also burned 11 other towns. In Peshtigo alone, 800 people lost their lives.

Firefighters control a fire's spread by removing one of three ingredients fire needs to burn: heat, oxygen, or fuel. They remove heat by applying water or fire retardant on the ground with pumps or wildland fire engines, or by air using helicopters or airplanes.

Interagency Hotshot crews (IHCs), commonly called Hotshots or Hotshot crews, are highly trained, specialized wildland fire handcrews that perform some of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in wildland firefighting.

Firefighters On the Ground

Hotshots - These are the most highly skilled type of handcrews and are typically assigned to work on the most challenging parts of wildfires. Engine crews - These teams of two to ten firefighters work with specialized wildland fire engines that carry special equipment to spray water and foam.

1. The Peshtigo Fire and the Great Fires of 1871. For three days in October of 1871, the entire Upper Midwest of the United States was a raging inferno. Four of the worst fires in American history, known collectively as the Great Fires of 1871, burned simultaneously in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Peshtigo Fire, Wisconsin (1871)

At least 1 152 people were killed, making this the worst fire that claimed more lives than any of the other wildfires in US history. It happened on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, which overshadowed the Wisconsin fire.

Moving heavy machinery safely through a forest poses an immense number of issues. Other hazards from creating control lines, such as dangerous vegetation, trees that are hazardous to cut down, and insects or animals, can prove both time consuming and unsafe. Furthermore, wildfires are also unpredictable.

CAL FIRE crews set off flares and light backfires to slow down California's Electra Fire. The best defense is a good offense- it's a phrase used by politicians, coaches and military leaders, but some firefighters use the advice to keep the spread of wildfires under control.

The Yarnell Hill Fire overran and killed 19 wildland firefighters with the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew on June 30, 2013. It was the deadliest wildland fire for U.S. firefighters since 1933 and the greatest loss of U.S. firefighter life since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Hotshots are considered elite among wildland firefighters due to their extensive training, high physical standards, and ability to undertake difficult assignments. To effectively perform their duties, each firefighter must maintain a high level of physical fitness.

What is the highest ranked firefighter? ›

The fire chief is the highest-ranking officer in the fire department. He or she is directly responsible for the efficient operation of the fire department and has control of all of its personnel and activities. The fire chief has a say in various department functions such as: Fire safety education.

Firefighters are considered heroes because we will run toward a situation that everyone else is (sensibly) running away from. While we try our best to minimize the danger to ourselves and others, there is still a risk to what we do.

Paul Neal "Red" Adair (June 18, 1915 – August 7, 2004) was an American oil well firefighter. He became notable internationally as an innovator in the specialized and hazardous profession of extinguishing and capping oil well blowouts, both land-based and offshore.

On October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in a barn on the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois. For more than 24 hours, the fire burned through the heart of Chicago, killing 300 people and leaving one-third of the city's population homeless.

Fast facts: Maui wildfires

The 2023 Maui fire ranks among the top 10 deadliest U.S. wildfires on record since 1871, and it is the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii's history, surpassing the deadly tsunami in 1960.

Humans cause nearly 90% of wildfires in the United states¹ via discarded cigarettes, unattended campfires, burning debris, or through equipment malfunctions. Although less common, wildfires can also occur though non-human phenomena, such as lightning strikes and volcanic eruptions.