Firefighters from around the world meet Monday in Raleigh to discuss how to improve the way they battle wildfires. The International Association of Wildland Fire hosts a conference this week that focuses on better communication and learning the behavior of wildfires as a few ways to contain them. Organization spokeswoman Paula Nelson says those techniques can vary in North Carolina, where the landscape can shift rapidly from dense forest to peat bog.
"Each of those takes specific skills, so the local people are the ones you really turn to," Nelson says.
"You may have to bring in firefighters from out of state or out of area to be able to fight the fire in a specific area, but you highly rely upon the local experts."
Nelson says firefighters will also discuss public awareness campaigns to cut down on wildfires caused by campers or hikers. The week-long conference includes visits to Camp Lejeune and N.C. State University's College of Textiles, where researchers are developing new flame-resistant clothes for firefighters.
