Historical data indicates that large fires often strike older forests on a 200-300 year cycle. These cycles often include periods of episiodic droughts, and the fires are then spread by strong and persistent winds that whip up in the late summer months. What are these winds called, and how are they formed? Continue on to find out more!
1988 was the driest year on record, with precipitation levels in July falling 79% below the norm.
as the driest year on record. Several factors contribute to the severity of this event. Uncharacteristically strong and persistent southwesterly winds in July and August caused the fire to spread at alarming rates. Additionally, the size of the blazes proved that they could not be stopped by small changes in microclimate (a small, sometimes protected atmospheric zone where the climate is made different from the surrounding area) or by traditional suppression techniques.
(BELOW: Firefighters battle the blaze in Yellowstone National Park.)
Donec nec lorem et tellus mollis lobortis. Integer sed dolor ut leo porta mollis. Proin eu augue augue. Maecenas ipsum purus, ultricies ut hendrerit ac, imperdiet et lectus.Nulla facilisi. Proin porttitor bibendum rhon-cus. Praesent imperdiet nunc et sem dignissim elementum. Donec lobortis congue fringilla. Donec consequat or-nare sodales. Nunc posuere mattis mi, ut facilisis ligula accumsan vel. In consecte-tur accumsan diam, eget porttitor justo luctus id. Nulla porta nibh sed lacus feu-giat fringilla. Nam ut leo augue. Donec pellentesque, enim ac gravida congue, lorem velit aliquet turpis, non adipiscing mauris dui at nisi. Nulla lobortis sagittis ligula, nec tristique nisl iacu-lis a. Proin cursus mi a nunc bibendum fermentum. Integer ultricies arcu et nunc interdumid sagittis mauris pharetra. Duis elemen-tum aliquam eros, nec egestas orci laoreet eget. Nunc erat velit, aliquet non consectetur non, placerat eget sapien. Vivamus id ipsum sit amet massa consec-tetur porta. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Praesent dignissim ultrices neque. Aliquam auctor congue nunc sed interdum. Aenean sagittis grav-ida est, sit amet egestas metus venenatis non.
5