Firewise by Ed Brown

TGO FIREWISE INFORMATION

RESIDENTS REDUCING WILDFIRE RISKS Visit tgocsa.org to view Firewise video and brochure or TGO Firewise on Facebook

Remember, you must have written permission to remove any living shrubs or trees beyond your property line. Contact CSA if you have questions about removal and consult the Architectural Review Board before making landscape changes.

Central Florida - Lightning Capital

by Ed Brown

Florida is the “lightning capital” of the United States! Did you know that Geneva, the rural Florida town 30 miles west of TGO, is the “lightning capital” of Florida? There are about 10 fatalities per year from lightning in the United States. July is the most dangerous month. Do you think it might be valuable to you to understand lightning as a threat to your health and safety? The family aboard a sport fishing boat 200 miles off Clearwater in the Gulf of Mexico sure did! The boat was hit by several bolts of lightning. The boat was energized from aluminum outriggers to galley faucets. Amazingly, no one on the fishing boat was badly injured. None of the crew grabbed metal (a great conductor of static electricity (lightning). A US Coast Guard helicopter evacuated the family to a shore side medical facility (minor injuries, but a long-term buzz)!

A Merritt Island teen and her friend took shelter under a tree (BAD IDEA!) in one of last week’s thunderstorms. Teen #1 was hit by lightning! Teen #2 observed this and the fact that teen #1 was unconscious. unresponsive and not breathing. Teen #2 performed CPR on her friend and saved her life. The mother of teen #1 credits teen #2 with saving her child’s life. “Don’t take storms in this place for granted,” she stated. “Lightning is a scary, scary thing,” she added.

So, what exactly is lightning? How does it form? What damage can it do? All objects have positively charged (+) Protons and negatively charged (–) Electrons as part of their make-up. These electrically charged sub atomic particles can be part of any surface. They get removed by a breeze. If the breeze is a thermal and goes up, the charged particles go aloft too and may form a negatively charged cloud full of electrons. These electrons are driven to reunite with protons left behind. When thousands of electrons jump, they create a lightning bolt. The bolt can have a temperature of 54,000 degrees F. It can be five times hotter than the sun! In Seminole County, in 2021, there were 857 “lightning events” per square mile! You can clearly see the opportunity for a wildland fire, a roof fire or a trash pile fire to ignite. Amazingly, there were only four deaths from lightning strikes in Florida in 2021!

The consequences of being struck by lightning can be deadly. In a lightning strike, the current tends to move over the surface of the body in a process called “External Flashover,” which can cause severe burns. Some of the current can travel through the body, causing damage to the nervous system. The concussion from the blast (Thunder) can cause traumatic internal injuries and permanent hearing loss. The bright flash can cause temporary or permanent vision damage. If you hear thunder, you are already within striking distance of lightning. If you are outdoors when a storm approaches, you should immediately seek shelter. “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Get inside a building or vehicle and avoid touching any metal. If you can’t get inside, move away from tall objects such as trees, towers and hilltops. Squat down and say a brief prayer. Be glad you keep your property LEAN, GREEN and CLEAN. Don’t Push Your Luck!

Firewise Committee - Contact Information

Tim Graham Chairman 561-262-8833 Donald Payne 407-222-0583 Ed Brown 321-383-8253 Mike Lavery 585-472-1538 Ron Peoples 407-509-0486 Betty Salter 321-223-8073 Ed Olefirowicz 919-360-3174 Karri Olefirowicz 919-265-4315 Christopher Miller 407-375-8310 O.M. Butch Jones 804-514-4458 Albert McGuire 810 338 5646 Sharon Maloney 770-294-6362