Whether you're in California or Florida, Massachusetts or Texas, warm + dry weather = brush fire. Brush fires occur all the way through fall, when winds kick in. Funny how we were talking about raging waters just a while back, and now we're talking raging flames. (But that's part of the beauty of blogging, right?) Actually, I wanted to talk about brush fires because fire season is well on its way, and also—as with earthquakes—we like to live where we shouldn't, like in fire zones.

To be able to better prepare for brush fires, the first thing one has to understand is fire behavior. This interactive web site , hosted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research , illustrates how different factors, such as weather or topography, affect the way fires begin and spread. If you're still not getting it, here's a simpler approach .

A great resource for finding out if you live in a fire-prone area is the National Interagency Fire Center's fire maps page . Some of the fire maps contain real-time data. (Viewing them is also a safe way to fulfill your pyro fantasy.) You may also want to extend your vocabulary by checking out the glossary  on the Public Broadcasting System's (PBS) Nova companion site.

The information presented in these resources is written in accessible language—Ph.D. not required! By arming oneself with some basic knowledge, you have taken the first step to effective preparedness.