Well the title is the question.
With ‘split’ I mean create some space between blocks where fire has nothing to travel to the next block to spread.
I imagine that actions like dropping water with helicopters would also be unnecessary since we could ‘give up’ a burning block and then the fire would be over.
Or am I too naive about it?
In: Earth Science
You’re describing [firebreaks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebreak). The issues as I understand them are:
With wind fires can jump the gap or burning embers from one side can blow across. Embers can jump firebreaks of 600-800 feet on occasion.
They are not always practical to create given the shape of the land – hills, mountains etc
They are hard to maintain given you need to keep them free of most vegetation across a large area.
People own land and so you can’t just cut firebreaks on a perfect grid across the countryside.
Edit: Because a lot of people are commenting on the numbers I gave for 6-800 feet. I’m referencing one of the numbers given in Wikipedia of a 600 feet wide firebreak which was actually jumped. But it also mentions that embers can fly further and start fires further afield.
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