define brush fire

What is a brush fire, why are they so hard to put out, and whyyyy do they smoke sooo much and SO dark?

The view from work (Metropolitan Center) for most of the day…

A brush fire, or a “wildfire,” is “an uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area… differs from other fires by its extensive size, the speed at which it can spread out from its original source, its potential to change direction unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps such as roads, rivers and fire breaks.”

examples and damage:

“Wildfires occur when all of the necessary elements of a fire triangle come together in a susceptible area: an ignition source [NJ firefighters aren’t sure yet] is brought into contact with a combustible material such as vegetation, that is subjected to sufficient heat and has an adequate supply of oxygen from the ambient air [hasn’t rained in days!]. A high moisture content usually prevents ignition and slows propagation [NJ firefighters are counting on slight humidity to help put it out sooner], because higher temperatures are required to evaporate any water within the material…” – source

All we know now is that “Dry conditions and strong winds were believed to have been a contributing factor to several brush fires that broke out in the tristate this week…” birds eye vantage point via MyFox.

So I guess they’re so hard to put out because they jump and spread quickly- wow, talk about natural disasters. Thankfully this is not a residential area (although a WORK one!) Let’s hope they’re able to put this guy out before nightfall since it’s only going to get windier.