New Substance Can Prevent Wildfires from Starting, Spreading

 

Researchers have developed a long-lasting, environmentally safe substance that can prevent wildfires from spreading.

The new fluid is the creation¹ of scientists and engineers at Stanford University in California. A report on their work was published in Proceedings² of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Stanford team says the treatment could give firefighters a valuable weapon in their battle against wildfires.

Wildfires destroy an estimated 4 million hectares across the United States every year. In 2018, the federal government spent more than $3 billion on firefighting efforts, with billions more lost in property damage.

Wildfires have been a very serious problem in the western state of California. Last year, the Camp Fire, in northern California, became the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. State officials blamed the Camp Fire for 86 deaths. Officials say it destroyed more than 18,000 buildings, most of them homes.

The new report notes that a large majority of wildfires result from human activities. It says they often start along roadsides, in campgrounds and around electrical equipment. The researchers sought to find a substance that could be deployed³ to such areas to stop fires from starting in the first place.

Firefighters often use chemical fire retardants to put out fires. Fire retardants are materials that can stop or slow the spread of fires. But firefighting crews currently⁴ use them only as a kind of reactive tool. This is because the chemical treatments are not designed to stay on trees or other vegetation⁵ for long periods. They can quickly disappear because of environmental and weather conditions.

Some of the treatments being used are considered short-term solutions. They protect buildings in the path of spreading fires. But they also lose their effectiveness quickly.

The thick liquid tested by the Stanford University team was found to extend the life of the fire retardants without harming the environment.

Such a treatment could open up possibilities for firefighters to take preventive actions before fires even start, notes Eric Appel. He helped to write the new report. Appel is a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford.

The treatment holds the promise “to make wildland firefighting much more proactive, rather than reactive,” Appel said. “What we do now is monitor wildfire-prone areas and wait with bated breath for fires to start, then rush to put them out.”

The researchers worked with California’s Department of Forestry⁶ and Fire Protection, or CalFire, to carry out experiments. In those tests, the treatment was put on vegetation in areas where fires often start.

The testing found that the material “provides complete fire protection even after half an inch of rainfall,” the study said. Under the same conditions, commonly used fire retardants provided little or no protection from fire.

The researchers said they continue to test the treatment with state transportation and fire officials. This includes one of the biggest high-risk areas for the start of wildfires: roadsides.

Alan Peters is a CalFire chief who took part in some of the test burns. “We don’t have a tool that’s comparable⁷ to this,” he said. “It has the potential to definitely reduce the number of fires.”

The development team says the treatment contains only safe materials widely used in food, drug and agricultural products. Over time, the material washes away and breaks down safely in the environment, the researchers noted⁸.

Eric Appel said he hopes the new treatment “can open the door to identifying and treating high-risk areas to protect people’s lives and livelihoods¹⁰.”

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

vegetation – n. the plants and trees that grow in a particular area

monitor – v. watch something carefully

with bated breath – phr. act in an excited way

inch – n. a measurement equal to 2.54 centimeters

potential – n. having or showing the possibility of becoming or developing into something in the future

livelihood⁹ – n. the way a person earns a living

1 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

2 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

5 vegetation   

n.植物，草木，（植物）生长

参考例句：

• As we drove towards the desert,the vegetation became sparse.我们驱车前往沙漠，沿途的草木渐渐变得稀疏。
• The earth bore a thick green mantle of vegetation.大地覆盖着一层厚厚的绿色植物。

6 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

7 comparable   

adj.相似的，同类的，可比的，比得上的

参考例句：

• A fire is comparable with the sun,both give light and heat.火可以和太阳相比，两者都可以发光发热。
• No horse has a speed comparable to that of his.没有一匹马的速度能比得上他的马。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

10 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。