A fierce wildfire burning outside Fort McMurray, Alta., has brought back memories of a vicious blaze, nicknamed The Beast, that tore through the oilsands hub in 2016.
The most significant difference between the two wildfires is what parts of trees are burning.
“The dead and the downed trees are now intertangled on the ground and just opened up the canopy and allowed for dried cured grass to grow," he says. While the heat from a land-based fire is more intense, Gradek says bulldozed fire breaks and the work of firefighters on the ground are effective.Crown fires also require an intense air battle, because flames often burn more than 15 metres above firefighters’ heads, Gradek adds.Fires are a natural part of a forest’s life cycle, but ground-based blazes have a more significant effect on trees.
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