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building materials. Vinyl soffits will soften when exposed to <br />heat or flames from a wildfire and fall away from the roof <br />trusses. When this occurs, windblown embers (fire brands0 <br />can enter the attic area and ignite the ceiling/ roof. <br />• Fire Protection — The key to successful controlling any <br />wildfire is starting suppression action (attacking the wildfire) <br />while it is still small. Firefighter access to a dedicated <br />supply of water is an important factor. A reliable water <br />source that will be unaffected by a sudden power loss is <br />much better than relying on individual residential well <br />systems and "trucked in" water to fight a wildfire and protect <br />homes. Numerous structures may be threatened <br />simultaneously, requiring large quantities of water. <br />• Utilities — Above ground utilities can be both a cause of <br />wildfire and also a hindrance to effective suppression. <br />Florida Forest Service's firefighting dozers and fire plows <br />can fall into unmarked septic tanks or sever buried lines. If <br />firefighters cannot respond or are delayed because of <br />these hazards, there is a greater chance that threatened <br />structures will be lost. <br />Vulnerability Summary. Florida has a year round fire <br />season with the most active part taking place from April to July. <br />The majority of wildfires in Florida (70-80 percent) are caused <br />by humans with arson and escaped debris burning being the <br />top two causes. The largest number of lightning -caused fires <br />occurs in July. The drier months tend to be January, February <br />and March but this is not always the case depending on <br />drought conditions and frequency of frontal passages. Dry <br />months, combined with low humidity and high wind have the <br />highest number of fires reported. <br />Extent/Probability. The average occurrence in Indian River <br />County is 21.1 wildfires per year with an average of 24 acres <br />per incident. <br />f. Extreme Temperatures (Freezing) - Hazard Identification <br />A freeze is defined by the National Weather Service (NWS) as <br />when the surface air temperature is expected to be 32 degrees <br />or below over a widespread area for a climatologically <br />significant period of time. The NWS issues a freeze warning <br />when surface temperatures are expected to drop below <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 40 <br />