FOREST FIRES: Its Environmental Impacts

Wildland fire: Forest fire
Wildfire is a part of nature. Forest fires has its own purposes in our environment. It plays a key role in shaping ecosystems by serving as an agent of renewal and change.

How Forest Fires Start

Forest fires always start by one of two ways - naturally caused or human caused.

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.

Human-caused fires constitute the greater percentage of forest fires in our forests, but natural fires constitute the great majority of the total area burned. This is because human-caused fires are usually detected early in their duration, and therefore they are usually contained easily. Natural fires, on the other hand, can burn for hours before being detected by firefighting authorities.

How Forest Fires Burn

There are three elements that are required for a forest fire to burn: Heat, Oxygen, and Fuel. This is the so-called "fire triangle". Without all three of these elements, the fire will go out. Furthermore, the fire will spread in the direction of the most abundant supply of the three elements, while its rate of combustion is usually limited by one of the three elements.

Once the fire enters the combustion stage, there are three main types of classifications for the fire.
A smoldering fire is one that emits smoke but no flame and is rarely self-sustained. A fire is classified as flaming combustion when flames are present. Charcoal can be formed in the absence of oxygen with this type of fire. Glowing combustion is a later stage of the fire and is characterized by a slower rate of combustion and blue flame.

Forest fires can also be classified by what part of the forest they burn in:

Ground fires occur on the ground, often below the leaves.
Surface fires occur on the surface of the forest up to 1.3 meters high.
Crown fires are the most dangerous fires and can spread the fastest. They occur in the tops of the trees. they can be:
(a) dependent upon surface fires to burn the crowns, (b) active in which they occur at the same rate as surface fires, or (c) the most destructive, independent, where fire can "jump" from crown to crown.

It is not uncommon for two or three types of fires to occur simultaneously.

Environmental Impacts of Forest Fires: Positive and Negative

POSITIVE:

• Cleaning up forests of dead and decaying matter (natural fuel during drought periods)
• Maintaining ecosystem balance by removing diseased plants and harmful insects
• Regenerating seeds through increased sunlight

NEGATIVE

• Damage the habitat of the environment - which depends on the soil type and the fire's intensity
• Affect the species population and distibution after an incident
• Destroy homes and buildings
• Incur costly evaluation and destruction
• Create heavy smog that is harmful to living things
• Take animal and human lives

Every year, countless acres of forests are burned because of human carelessness. To help prevent fires in or near forest land during the forest fire season, the following steps should be followed:

• Check local regulations regarding permit requirements and "burn ban" restrictions. These are available from your municipality, fire department or department of natural resources. They may include:
- Obtaining a burning permit for burning grass, brush, slash or other debris in or within a prescribed distance of forest land;
- A campfire permit and the landowner's permission for an open campfire, cooking fire or bonfire in or near forest land;
- A work permit for any work in fores land involving two or more people.

• Burn only natural vegetation or untreated wood products
• Burn piles are at least 50 feet from structures and 500 feet from any forest slash.
• Clear the area around the burn pile of any flammable debris.
• Keep firefighting equipment handy - a connected water hose or at least five gallons of water and a shovel should be nearby.
• Don't burn if it's too windy to burn - if trees are swaying, flags are extended, or waves appear on open water.
• Be prepared to extinguish the fire if it becomes a nuisance.
• Attend the fire until it is completely out.
• Smoking should not be done while moving from one place to another in forest land. Make sure your butt is out - "dead out!
• Power saws must have a proper muffler and be accompanied by a round point shovel or fire extinguisher.
• Cars, trucks and machinery must have proper exhaust systems when operated in or near forest land. Exhaust spark arresters are a requirement on certain machines.
• Know your local emergency telephone number if a fire becomes uncontrollable.

Protect our Forest Friends, only you can PREVENT WILDFIRES

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY!

Image sources: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire
http://www.borealforest.org/world/innova/forest_fire.htm
https://shop.ecoplum.com/blogs/sustainable-living/18611844-environmental-impact-of-forest-fires