Problem Statement
According to the U.S. Department of interior, approximately 90% of all wildfires are caused by human interference leading to approximately 6.9 million acres of burnt fields and homes. This problem has led to millions of people without homes and has led to major economic problems, due to the fact that most cities cannot function without proper human infrastructure. If this problem continues, wildfires can lead to long term effects that can be irreversible and affect all wildlife around the globe.
Introduction
This year alone the National Interagency Fire Center reported over thirty thousand wild fires and they ranged from people leaving campfires unattended, burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. In 2018, there were 58,083 wildfires, compared with 71,499 wildfires in 2017, according to the NIFC about 8.8 million acres were burned in 2018, compared with 10 million in 2017. Currently in California, helicopters battled smoky skies overnight in an attempt to rescue dozens of people trapped in the fiery depths of the Sierra National Forest and at least 148 people had been flown to safety by Tuesday morning. In Oregon, whipping winds and dry conditions have helped fuel fire outbreaks. South of Portland, officials in Marion County implored some residents to “please leave now” as fires that have burned through more than 27,000 acres approached more densely populated areas. The fire has burned thousands of acres, destroyed countless wildlife and may potentially cause a lot more devastation as the uncontrolled fire continues to burn.
Natural fires are generally started by lightning, with a very small percentage started by spontaneous combustion of dry fuel such as sawdust and leaves. On the other hand, human-caused fires can be due to any number of reasons. Some classifications include smoking, recreation, equipment, and miscellaneous. How do wildfires start? Though they are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as natural disasters, only 10 to 15 percent of wildfires
occur on their own in nature. The other 85 to 90 percent result from human causes, including unattended camp and debris fires, discarded cigarettes, and arson. Wildfires can burn millions of acres of land at shockingly fast speeds, consuming everything in their paths.
Stakeholders
This product is mainly targeting the all fire departments or other related departments who are in charge of putting out fires and keeping out community fire free. This product can also be useful to people who live near the wilderness or near dry plains, as they can also help put out fires within their area.
Design Specifications
First requirement: The fire backpack must be light enough so that it the person carrying it does not have any difficulty. It is also recommended that they wear a back brace to prevent any future back problems.
Second requirement: The fire backpack must follow all fire hazard safety guild lines as well as heat hazards and fuel hazards. These hazards can include chemicals, spray painting, welding, combustible dusts, flammable liquids or other hazards that can lead to the start of a fire. This product must be capable of preventing fires not starting them.
Design requirement: The fire backpack must have a metal nozzle with a rubber handle to prevent any sort of heat from burning your hand. The nozzle will be about 5 inches in length and about 2 inches in width.
Design requirement: The nozzle will be connected with a fire resistant hose that will be connected to the fire tank. The hose will be approximately 1 meter long so that the person carrying the backpack will have easy movement with the hose.
Design requirement: The backpack will be a tank made out of a light metal so that when the liquid or substance gets added it, it will total to the least amount of weight. The tank will also have to be pressurized so that when you press down on the nozzle the substance or liquid will come out with ease.
Conclusion
Human interactions are the main cause of all global wildfires which have led to millions of acers of burnt fields and houses. There has been many solutions to solving this problem; however, the Bambi bucket can take up to an hour to refill, the Firefight Drone is still a developing solution, the Fire Tracker causes more damage to the field in order stop the fire, and Phos-chek are very affective in putting out fires but if not cleaned properly it can stain the ground. There are also other current solutions like the fire hydrant and fire extinguisher, but these two solutions are only capable of solving problems in a certain situation. Although these solutions are being used in practice they are not the most effective way in quickly putting out fires.