Understanding wildfires

Wildfires can spread across millions of acres of land in a very short time. These flames travel up to 14 miles an hour and can overtake the average human in minutes.

The destruction caused by wildfires in the United States has increased. Since 2000, about 72,400 wildfires have destroyed nearly 7 million acres of U.S. land. As more people are moving into rural and wilderness areas, it's vital to understand how wildfires get started and how to deal with them.