Beware of CONFLAGRATIONS!

When the weather turns hot and dry, fast-moving, devastating wildfires occur in many parts of the world.

These conflagrations (see definition below) are often caused by people who are careless with campfires but also may result from lightning strikes.

Wildfires tend to occur most often in such areas as Australia and Western states of the United States, such as California, Idaho and Montana.

Each year, more than 100,000 wildfires, on average, break out in the United States and typically clear millions of acres of land.

Even though you may think that wildfires would occur only during the summer, they can strike any month of the year.

Like hurricanes and earthquakes, wildfires can be truly disastrous. To learn more about wildfires, go to: http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/fire.php

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What do you think are the best ways to prevent a conflagration?

CONFLAGRATION: An extensive, destructive fire.