Text 5. Wildfire detection, prevention, suppression

Fast and effective detection is a key factor in wildfire fighting. Early detection efforts were focused on early response, accurate results and the ability to prioritize fire danger. At first fires were reported using telephones, carrier pigeons, and heliographs. Aerial and land photography using instant cameras were used in the 1950s until infrared scanning was developed for fire detection in the 1960s. However, information analysis and delivery was often delayed.

Modern satellite and aerial monitoring can provide a wider view and may be sufficient to monitor very large, low risk areas. These more sophisticated systems employ GPS and aircraft-mounted infrared or high-resolution visible cameras to identify and target wildfires.

Wildfire suppression depends on the technologies available in the area in which the wildfire occurs. In less developed nations the techniques used can be as simple as throwing sand or beating the fire with sticks. In more advanced nations, the suppression methods vary due to increased technological capacity. Silver iodide can be used to encourage snow fall, while fire retardants and water can be dropped onto fires by unmanned aerial vehicles, planes, and helicopters.

Wildfire modeling being a preventive method is concerned with numerical simulation of wildfires in order to comprehend and predict fire behavior. It can ultimately aid wildfire suppression, increase the safety of firefighters and the public, and minimize damage. Wildfire modeling involves the statistical analysis of past fire events to predict risks and behavior. However, the exact behavior of a wildfire depends on a variety of factors.

Text 6. A firewall

A firewall is a fire-resistance rated wall assembly intended to slow the spread of fire from one side to the other, and are certification listed.

• Firewalls can be used to subdivide a building into separate fire areas and are located in accordance with the locally applicable building code. Firewalls are a portion of a building's passive fire protection systems.

• Firewalls can be used to separate high value transformers at an electrical substation in the event of a mineral oil tank rupture and ignition. The firewall serves as a fire containment wall between one oil-filled transformer and other neighboring transformers, building structures, and site equipment.

There are three main classifications of fire walls: firewalls, fire barrier walls, and high challenge firewalls.

• A firewall is a wall separating transformers, structures, or buildings or a wall subdividing a building to prevent the spread of fire and having a fire resistance rating and structural stability.

• A fire barrier wall, also referred to as a fire partition, is a fire rated wall assembly which is not a fire wall. Typically, the main differences is that a fire barrier wall is not structurally stable, and does not extend through the roof, or to the underside of the floor above.

• A high challenge fire wall is a wall used to separate transformers, structures, or buildings or a wall subdividing a building with high fire challenge occupancies, having enhanced fire resistance ratings and enhanced appurtenance protection to prevent the spread of fire, and having structural stability.