Jesse Mbu

ATMO-1020

WILDFIRE

A wildfire, also called wildland fire, is an uncontrollable destructive fire that occurs in the forest,

wilderness, or rural area. It’s also classified as a bushfire or forest fire. It is typically caused by the

lightning strikes. Or humans carelessly starting it, or by accident. These fires sometimes burn for days

and weeks. A wildfire can destroy an entire forest along with much wildlife.

History

There is a record that wildfires first happened in the Middle Ordovician period, 470 million years

ago, due to an increase of oxygen in the atmosphere never seem before. The oxygen was generated by

new hordes of land plants which pumped it out as a waste product. There is some additional evidence of

fires in the period of Carboniferous, 289 millions years ago, and that the overall increase of atmospheric

oxygen was accompanied by a more widespread distribution of wildfires.

Humans were involved in wildfires millions of years ago. Since light from electricity didn’t exist at

that time, they used fire for agricultural and hunting purposes. Wildfires were used in battles
throughout human history. From the Middle ages, accounts were written of occupational burning as

well as customs and laws that governed the use of fire. In 14th century Sardinia, an island in the

Mediterranean Sea, people used firebreaks for wildfire protection, to prevent fire from spreading and

invading other trees.

During the early 17th Century, Native Americans were observed using fire for many purposes, such as

cultivation, signaling and warfare. Wildfire also occurred during the Vietnam War. There, explosions

from bombings generated then fires, caused by soldiers and leading to the burning forests.

Causes

There are two different causes of wildfire: natural causes and human causes.

Natural (due to Mother Nature):

Dry Climate: During drought period, leaves are very dry and can potentially start a fire.

Lightning: a good number of wildfires were started by lightings. When lightning strikes, it can produce a

spark, which can, in turn, ignite a tree.

Volcanic Eruption: fires, exploding from the volcanoes, can reach the forest nearby and start a fire.

Human beings are the number one cause of the wildfires, example of human cause fires are:

Campfire: it’s very common for people to use fire when they go camping, to have a good time in the

outdoors; sometimes fire is used for various reasons and can start a wildfire if it’s not properly managed.

Smoking: Some people smoke while driving, biking, or walking in the wild forest. Sometimes they forget

to put out the cigarettes or cigars and start a fire.

Fireworks: they are used for fun activities, but they must not be set off in the woods because they will

start a fire when the fireworks explode.

Effects

Wildfire has a lot of effects on people’s lives, animals and the environment.

Animals- living species in the forest such as birds, squirrels and rabbits which could be killed.

Trees and Plants- they produce oxygen in the world and if they are gone, there will be less clean air we

have to breath, and the animals will not survive longer without anything to eat.

Human’s lives- by losing their house or having the risk of losing it, like the celebrities’ in California such

as Will Smith and the Kardashians. Wildfires can also affect their health due to inhalation of smoke since

it’s composed of ash particulates, which make the air harmful to breathe, especially for people like me

who have asthma. It can also cause air pollution.

How To Prevent Wildfires?

There are ways to prevent wildfires. Humans need to use fire properly and know which situations

they need to use it. For smokers, they must smoke outside of forest areas and need to make sure that

they put out their cigarettes completely. And people must clearly watch a campfire or it will spread.
How Wildfire are related to Climate Change?

They are 100% related to Climate Change because humans are the number one cause of it. The

threat of wildfires have increased with humans, inducing climate change. Their influences, if they are

not good ones, can create some disasters that can affect the Earth’s atmosphere. Drought and resulting

wildfires can also be caused by natural fluctuations in the weather.

Events of Wildfires

The California wildfires is a notable example, since they have been happening in recent years. On the

right is a picture from Monchique, Portugal from August 2018. In the bottom left is from Sydney,

Australia from April 2018.

LINKS

http://www.eschooltoday.com/natural-disasters/wildfires/information-on-wildfires.html

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-and-solutions-of-wildfires.php

https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2014/10/13/what-do-wildfires-have-to-do-with-climate-change/

https://www.britannica.com/science/wildfire