Deck 14: Fire

Question 1

The most intense fires occur in ________________________.

A)dense temperate-zone forests
B)grasses that have broad,exposed surfaces
C)sparse organic litter
D)shrubs containing high contents of natural oils

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The spread of fire depends on behavior within the fire itself and on __________________.

A)the types of fuel
B)weather
C)topography
D)Both the types of fuel and weather are correct
E)the types of fuel,weather and topography are correct

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The organic debris left on the ground after logging or windstorms is called _____________.

A)switch
B)slag
C)grush
D)brush
E)slash

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Fire-dependent natural ecosystems include all but which of the following?

A)grasslands
B)seasonal tropical forests
C)some temperate-climate forests
D)the Mediterranean-climate shrublands
E)dense tropical rain forest

Question 5

Which of the following was largely destroyed by fire in 1871?

A)San Francisco
B)Tokyo
C)Chicago
D)Moscow
E)Lisbon

Question 6

Sea breezes reach their maximum on-shore wind speeds __________________.

A)during the hottest part of the day
B)shortly after sunrise
C)shortly after sunset
D)at random times during a 24-hour period

Question 7

During burning,the chemical structure of solid wood breaks apart and yields ________________.

A)flammable hydrocarbon vapors
B)water vapor
C)tar
D)mineral residues
E)
All of these choices are correct.

Question 8

In effect,the solar energy stored by plants during their growth is _________________.

A)returned to the atmosphere during fire
B)lost forever during fire
C)used to produce ozone during fire
D)returned to their roots during fire
E)stored in ribozomes during fire

Question 9

In the photosynthesis reaction in plants,________ is given off as a by-product of the reaction.

A)hydrogen
B)oxygen
C)carbon dioxide
D)nitrogen
E)water

Question 10

Wildfires that race through the treetops are known as _________________.

A)crown fires
B)bough fires
C)slash fires
D)hyperthermal fires

Question 11

The term "ladder fuels" refers to ___________________.

A)an evolutionary hierarchy of flammable plants,from primitive ferns to complex flowering trees
B)a hierarchy of carbon-rich flammable materials,from wood to peat,coal,and petroleum products
C)vegetation of varying heights,which allow fire to quickly climb upward
D)fuel made of old woodworking scraps and workbenches
E)extinguishing materials used by urban fire fighters

Question 12

Pyrolysis of cellulose produces which of the following?

A)methanol (wood alcohol)vapor
B)water vapor
C)fatty deposits
D)chlorophyll
E)coal

Question 13

In Mediterranean climates such as in the Californias,Australia,and South Africa,frequent wildfire is necessary for the health of natural plant communities because ___________________.

A)many of the plant species must have the smoke and/or heat of fire to germinate their seeds
B)it helps to control parasites
C)it influences insect behavior
D)many of the plant species must have the smoke and/or heat of fire to germinate their seeds,it helps to control parasites and it influences insect behavior are correct
E)it controls seasonal variations of solar albinism

Question 14

Heat-expanded air _________________.

A)is more dense than cool air because molecules are pushing harder on each other
B)is less dense than cool air
C)has the same density as cool air because matter is neither created nor destroyed in fire
D)contains less energy than cooler air because there are fewer molecules per unit volume

Question 15

The thermal degradation of wood involves the process of _______.

A)parathesis
B)electrolysis
C)dialysis
D)pyrolysis
E)anoxic growth

Question 16

Wet wood becomes extremely difficult to ignite because ____________________.

A)the water in wet wood has a high capacity to absorb heat
B)its temperature must be raised considerably
C)the water displaces oxygen (necessary for ignition)in pores in the wood
D)Both the water in wet wood has a high capacity to absorb heat and its temperature must be raised considerably are correct
E)the water in wet wood has a high capacity to absorb heat,its temperature must be raised considerably,and the water displaces oxygen (necessary for ignition)in pores in the wood are correct

Question 17

On 12 September 1812,Napoleon and the French army reached the hills outside of _________ and found it to be largely deserted,with fires burning throughout;for six days,the fires raged until 90 percent of the city was incinerated.

A)Madrid
B)St.Petersburg
C)Berlin
D)Magadan
E)Moscow

Question 18

Grasses have broad,exposed surfaces resulting in _________________.

A)fast-spreading fires
B)slow-spreading fires
C)substantial resistance to burning
D)photo-antithesis

Question 19

Fire burns faster ________________.

A)up a slope
B)down a slope
C)on flat ground
D)Rate of burn is not dependent on amount or direction of slope

Question 20

Fierce winds occur when a high-pressure air mass spills over a mountain range and descends as warm,dry wind toward a low-pressure zone.These winds are called ___________________.

A)Foehn winds
B)Chinook winds
C)Diablo winds
D)Santa Ana winds
E)All of these are correct,depending on geographic location

Question 21

On average,only about 18 thunderstorms are in action around the earth each hour.

Question 22

Which of these drives fires in Southern California?

A)Pacific trade winds
B)Santa Clara winds
C)Santa Ana winds
D)El Ni-o winds

Question 23

Chinook winds and Santa Ana winds are _____________.

A)cold,dry winds
B)warm,humid winds
C)cold,humid winds
D)warm,dry winds
E)warm,epicentral winds

Question 24

In effect,fire is the photosynthesis reaction in reverse.

Question 25

In many natural environments,fire is necessary to recycle nutrients and regenerate plant communities.

Question 26

In 1988,a U.S.national park had fires that burned over a million acres of forest.That park was _______________.

A)Yosemite National Park,California
B)Mt.Rainier National Park,Washington
C)Big Bend National Park,Texas
D)Grand Canyon National Park,Arizona
E)Yellowstone National Park,Wyoming,Montana,and Idaho

Question 27

If there is a high-pressure zone over the Rocky Mountains and a low-pressure zone in the Great Plains,winds can come rushing down the Front Range into the plains.These winds are known as _______________________.

A)Cherokee winds
B)Fujita winds
C)Chinook winds
D)Saffir winds
E)Santa Ana winds

Question 28

Pyrolysis results in emanation of all but which of the following?

A)flammable hydrocarbon vapors
B)tar
C)water vapor
D)oxygen

Question 29

In the United States today,lightning strikes are responsible for more than 95% of all fires.

Question 30

During World War II,entire cities were ignited as thousands of tons of bombs created massive firestorms,killing tens of thousands of people in such cities as Hamburg and Dresden.

Question 31

In Mediterranean climates such as in the Californias,Australia,and South Africa,frequent wildfire is necessary for the health of natural plant communities.

Question 32

In 1880,nearly half of forest fires were caused by people clearing land.

Question 33

The vast majority of deaths from fire in the United States occur in ______________.

A)automotive accidents
B)nonresidential buildings
C)residential buildings
D)camp sites
E)large industrial plants

Question 34

In the late 1900s,U.S.civilian fire deaths ________________________.

A)increased and dollar damage decreased
B)decreased and dollar damage increased
C)increased and dollar damage increased
D)decreased and dollar damage decreased

Question 35

Fire is the rapid combination of oxygen with carbon,hydrogen,and other elements of organic material in a reaction that produces flame,heat,and light.

Question 36

Mistakes,or "how to sacrifice your house to the fire gods" include _______________.

A)locating your house on a slope
B)constructing your house of wood
C)having a roof made of flammable wood shingles
D)allowing tree limbs to hang over the roof
E)All of these choices are correct.

Question 37

Which of these two fires started within a few minutes of each other on 8 October,1871?

A)Rome fire and San Francisco fire
B)Oakland fire and San Francisco fire
C)Peshtigo,Wisconsin,fire and Chicago fire
D)Chicago fire and San Francisco fire
E)Peshtigo,Wisconsin,fire and San Francisco fire

Question 38

Heat flows outward from a fire by ____________________.

A)diffusion of particles from hotter to cooler areas
B)radiation from flames and hot surfaces
C)convection of hot,lightweight buoyant gases that rise
D)All of these choices are correct.

Question 39

Fire produces _______________.

A)oxygen and water vapor
B)hydrogen and HCL's
C)nitrogen and HFC's
D)cellulite and ozone
E)carbon dioxide and water vapor

Question 40

Transfer of heat occurs by all but which of the following?

A)conduction
B)refusion
C)radiation
D)convection
E)change of state

Question 41

Sea breezes and land breezes,at a point on the ocean shore,flow in opposite directions,but the sea breezes typically have a higher maximum wind speed.

Question 42

In glowing combustion the wood burns more slowly but at a higher temperature as the fire consumes the solid wood instead of pyrolized gases,as occurs in flaming combustion.

Question 43

The energy release in a fire strongly depends on the volume of material consumed,but not on the chemical composition of the plants and organic debris.

Question 44

Strong winds tend to blow large fires out rather than making them spread.

Question 45

Because of the poor conductance of heat in wood,the interior of a log remains below the combustion point even when the exterior is engulfed in flames.

Question 46

Most fire deaths in the United States occur in hotels and motels.

Question 47

Fire hazards are smallest in those regions with the biggest climatic differences between their wet and dry seasons.

Question 48

Fire tornadoes may carry fiery debris and drop it miles away,starting new fires,but their wind speeds do not get high enough to register on the Fujita scale.

Question 49

The number of acres burned in the United States has increased by a factor of 5 since 1880,because with population growth comes a much higher probability that someone will start a fire.

Question 50

For a log to burn completely,there must be enough outside heat conducting into the log to continue the pyrolizing process.

Question 51

For the 1972-1980 period,the percentage of chaparral acreage burned in the United States and in Mexico was about the same,despite enormous efforts made in the United States to suppress fire.

Question 52

Flaming combustion is the stage of least energy release in any fire.

Question 53

The radiant heat released from fires is a form of electromagnetic radiation.