Probability of Effective Post-attack Fire Fighting in Wildlands

Résumé du livre

In the event of nuclear attack, thermal radiation from nuclear weapons may start fires over large areas of the United States. The potential of such fires to cause material damage and loss of life in cities is obvious. In rural and wildland areas they will destroy crops and other natural resources. They may disrupt communication, power transmissions, and transportation networks, and produce sufficient smoke to eliminate visual navigation or reconnaissance capability by aircraft. This paper presents an assessment of the wildland fire threat and suggests the probable effectiveness of conventional fire fighting forces in materially reducing the damage from post-attack fires in wildlands. The behavior of outdoor fires is primarily determined by weather conditions and by the type and amount of flammable fuel.