How Much Do Rainstorms ‘Help’ Against Wildfires? You Might Be Surprised

Cooler weather, humidity, and rain (of course) help a lot when it comes to preventing, or even battling wildfires and forest fires, including those in WA State.

  But, Do Brief Showers Help That Much?

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office, with data from regional firefighting experts, recently posted on their Facebook page (as well as releasing it) information about rain, and fires.

As the Three Queens Fire Information Page said,  fires need 3 elements: fuel, oxygen and heat.  When you combine those, you get fires. In wildfire and forest fire situations, the vegetation is the fuel.

  Fire Experts Rank Fuels Based on How They're Affected by Moisture

At the 'fast' end, are what's called 1 Hour Fuels...such as grass, needles and twigs. These ignite easily and spread fast.  10-Hour Fuels are bigger branches and shrubs, which can carry fire vertically to other larger growth. The drier the fuel, the hotter and faster it burns.

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And finally 100-Hour Fuels are bigger branches, and bigger 1000-Hour Fuels are stumps, logs, and bigger trees that cause a lot of damage and are the hardest to put out.

    It Takes a Lot of Water to Put Out Larger Fuel

Experts say shorter period of rain, perhaps an hour or several, can make a difference especially if it's steady or heavy.  It takes care of the 1 and even 10-Hour Fuels.  However,  the 100-Hour and 1,000-Hour Fuels require a lot more.  Fire experts say in order for rainfall to make a significant or lasting impact, the rain needs to be lengthy or frequent enough to 'soak' the wood.

This removes internal heat that is often contained inside 100 and 1000-hour fuels. So now, you know.  Rain helps, but it takes a LOT more to ensure a fire is out.