On average, wildfires burn up to five million acres of land in the United States each year.
While they can start naturally, wildfires are often caused by humans with devastating consequences.
Wildfires are large, uncontrolled infernos that burn and quickly spread through wild landscapes.
Types of wildfires may include forest, brush, and peatland fires, depending on the landscapes affected.
Wildfires require three components, known as the fire triangle.
A heat source, fuel, and oxygen.
Heat sources, such as the sun, a hot bolt of lightning, or a smoldering match can supply enough heat to spark a fire.
That spark then turns into flames when fuel or any flammable material is present.
Dry, dead grasses, leaves, and trees are common fuels for wildfires, but so are living vegetation, called green fuels.
Pine trees and other evergreens contain flammable oils that can burn when exposed to a heat source.
