Fanning the flames

摘要

You wouldn't want to be trapped inside this house, as searing embers from an approaching wildfire set it alight. Fortunately for those nearby, the wildfire is simulated and under control. Spot the spectator. Hidden behind the pipes blasting the house with embers on the right, and wearing a flame-resistant hood and suit, this wildfire scientist is observing the building to see what sparks up first. In this case it's the wooden decking and dried leaves in the gutters. "Many people think a wildfire burns right up to the house and then burns the place down," says fire scientist Steve Quarles at the University of California, Berkeley. In fact, embers like those shown in the picture are the main cause of houses catching fire during wildfires. Often flying through open windows or attic vents, the embers set furniture and carpets ablaze and burn the house from the inside out.