Hot Topics What Do You Think About Fire?

Overview

Is Fire A Social Interaction? How Do People React To Fire? Is No News Good News? Heated Debates? What Are The Hot Topics In Your Community?

What Do People Think? People change minds over time Different perspectives on use of fire These differences are important Have led to debates

Photo Credit: Ashley Young

Is Fire A Social Interaction?

Use fire traditionally for: Cooking Heating Managing land Warfare

Use fire today for: Campfires Bonfires Fireplaces Cookouts

Photo Credit: istockphotos.com

Is Fire A Social Interaction?

Activity I Build a “campfire” Tell stories What might different groups have talked about over campfires through time? Are campfires enjoyable?

How Do People React To Fire? Many different perspectives on fire Some think fire is necessary Others disagree Also opinions change over time Fire was once an accepted part of life Famous Naval officer Ralph Semmes…

How Do People React To Fire?

How Do People React to Fire?

Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service

Forestry and agriculture practices changed Non-native plants not fire tolerant Fuels built up over time Landscape became altered Wildfires became terrifying events

How Do People React To Fire?

In 1920’s new policies Removed all fire from landscape Made the problem worse Fuels built up

Photo Credit: Ashley Young

How Do People React To Fire? People changed minds Realized that some fire is needed Prevents fuel build-up Reduces risk of destructive wildfire Needed for native ecosystems

Photo Credit: Rebecca Barlow

How Do People React To Fire?

Today people use fire to manage landscape Called prescribed fire Managed by experts Approved by Alabama Forestry Commission Is fire accepted by most people?

Photo Credit: Kyle Marable

How Do People React To Fire?

Activity II Are people similar? How many questions did it take?

Is No News Good News?

Have you seen fire in the news? Usually wildfires and house fires Why? People are deeply affected by tragic news

Photo Credit: Blaine Inglis, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is No News Good News?

People are influenced by news What hear and see impacts what we think and do No wonder many people have negative impression of fire!

Is No News Good News? Activity III Have you heard about fires in the news? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_siXYSBA5k Is anything you heard good? Have you seen a prescription burn in the news? Do you think television reports bad news more than good news?

Heated Debates?

News influences public opinion We live in a democracy People vote to Elect representatives Voice opinion

Photo Credit: Amber Dunn

Heated Debates?

Elected officials must please voters May ask how each law supported looks to voters

Heated Debates?

Once fire was widely accepted Free-grazing laws passed Kept people from grazing cattle in forests on native grasses

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Heated Debates? Forests of native trees cut for Timber Grazing room Replaced with Non-native grasses that do not carry fire Non-native trees that do not tolerate fire

Heated Debates? Made small, natural fires less common Increased fuel build-up When wildfires occurred, very destructive All fire labeled bad Campaigns against all fire began

Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service

Heated Debates? Many now realize how important fire is Decreases risk of wildfire Supports native plants and wildlife

Prescription fire is sometimes used now in the place of wildland fire

Photo Credits: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Heated Debates?

Activity IV Create a voting booth Use ballot to vote whether or not to “elect prescription fire”

Photo Credit: Ashley Young

What Are the Hot Topics in Your Community? Politics are decided locally To find out how your community feels about fire Ask yourself: Does your community participate in Firewise? Are your neighbors aware of burn bans and fire weather watches? Have there been any tragic house fires? Do you have any firefighters in your community?

What Are the Hot Topics in Your Community?

Think about how fire may influence perspectives in your community Do you feel the same way as your neighbors do? How did you feel about fire before you learned about it? How about now?

What Are the Hot Topics in Your Community?

How you feel will influence your community One day your vote will make a difference But you can make a difference now, too Ask your neighbors what they believe In return, share what you believe with them

What Are the Hot Topics in Your Community? Activity V Use the Hot Topics Handout to interview two people in your community One person can be a parent The other should be a neighbor or relative from the

community Then ask a parent or guardian to interview the same

relative or neighbor Share an interview with your class What were the general feelings toward fire in your community?

Summary Fire is a social interaction People have different opinions on fire Trends in public opinion can change over time What people see and hear affects what they think and do Your opinion matters You can make a difference in your community by sharing what you learn and feel

Questions?