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El <br />40 <br />J <br />There are three different classes of wildland fires: surface, <br />ground, and crown. A surface fire is the most common <br />type and burns along the floor of a forest, moving slowly <br />and killing or damaging trees. A ground fire is usually <br />started by lightning and burns on or below the forest floor. <br />Crown fires spread rapidly by wind and move quickly by <br />jumping along the tops of trees. <br />Rural and large tracts of unimproved lands are susceptible <br />to brush and forest fires capable of threatening life, safety, <br />and property loss in adjacent developed areas if not <br />effectively controlled. Wildfires are caused by numerous <br />sources including arson, smoker carelessness, individuals <br />burning debris, equipment throwing sparks, and children <br />playing with matches. However, the largest number of fires <br />is caused by lightning strikes and coincides with the height <br />of the thunderstorm season. A major wildland fire can <br />leave a large amount of scorched and barren land, and these <br />areas may not return to pre -fire conditions for decades. If <br />the wildland fire destroys the ground cover, other potential <br />hazards may develop (e. g., <br />erosion) (Federal Emergency <br />Management Agency, 1998). <br />However, some plant and animal communities in south <br />central Florida have come to depend on frequent lightnin j - <br />ignited wildfires for their continued existence. Many <br />threatened and endangered species depend on the periodic <br />burning of defense scrub. <br />Fire suppression and landscape <br />fragmentation have disrupted this natural cycle, but <br />prescribed burns provide the missing link. <br />Structures in the Wildland/Urban Interface zone are <br />vulnerable to ignition by three different ways: radiation, <br />convection, and firebrands (National Wildland/Urban <br />Interface Fire Protection Program). Radiating heat from a <br />wildfire can cause ignition by exposure to the structure. <br />The chances of ignition increase as the size of the flames <br />increases, surface areas exposed to flames increases, length <br />of exposure time increases, and distance between the <br />structure and the flames decreases. <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 12