- Author
- National Fire Protection Association
- Title
- Fire Storm '91: Case Study. The NationalWildland/Urban Interface Fire Protection Initiative.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
- Case Study, 1992, 31 p.
- Keywords
- case histories | wildland fires | fire spread | wind velocity | wind effects | weather effects | fire protection | fire losses | fire fighters | fire seasons | fire growth | fire statistics | evacuation | flame length
- Abstract
- Winds gusting to 62 miles per hour swept across a four-county area in eastern Washington state on Wednesday, october 16, 1991. These gale-force winds were responsible for 92 separate wildland fires in Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan, and Pend Orielle counties. One hundred and fourteen homes and numerous other structures were destroyed. One resident died attempting to escape the flames. Fire fighters continued to extinguish the fires into the weekend when a similar weather pattern was forecast for Monday, October 21. Fire fighters feared that additional high winds from the second wind event would result in the fires of October 16 becoming active again and additional new fires. Therefore, fire managers organized a massive buildup of fire fighters and equipment over the weekend and effectively deployed and dispatched them to new incidents when the high winds begain again.