FOREST FIRES

Forest fires are a large, destructive fire that spreads over a forest or area of
woodland. Wildfires can burn in forests, grasslands, savannas, and other
ecosystems, and have been doing so for hundreds of millions of years. They are
not limited to a particular continent or environment.

ADVANTAGES OF FOREST FIRES

1. WILDFIRES STIMULATE NEW GROWTH
Obviously, wildfire inhibits some growth, but it stimulates a great deal of new
growth as well. After a fire, some of the forest canopy has burned away and is
less dense, which means it lets more sunlight reach the forest floor. This causes
new growth of smaller plants and shrubs along the ground. Additionally, when
plant matter is burned, the nutrients from it are present in the ash, which goes
into the soil on the forest floor and helps new plants grow. Some tree species,
such as Jack pine and Lodgepole pine, require fire to reproduce. The cones
from these trees need heat from fire to open and disperse their seeds—the
cones are sealed shut with resin, which melts when heated and releases the
seeds.

2. PROMOTES BIODIVERSITY
Wildfires change the ecosystem in a natural and beneficial way that promotes
diversity of animal and plant life. Stumps and burnt-out trees remaining after a
forest fire provide a habitat for lots of varied species that would not have lived
there before these structures were provided. Plants that could not grow in the
area before begin to appear after a fire due to added nutrients from ash and
more light from the increased sunlight exposure. Forest fires also reduce the
population of invasive species so that native plants and animals can once again
thrive.

3. FIRE PREVENTS FIRE

Although it may seem counterintuitive, regularly occurring small wildfires
prevent bigger, more destructive fires from happening in the future. If a forest
does not have a burn for a long time, dead trees and other fuel builds up,
causing a much more destructive, out-of-control fire later.

Controlled burns are small fires set intentionally and managed by fire-fighting
professionals for ecological benefit and to help prevent catastrophic fires in
the future.

DISADVANTAGES OF FOREST FIRES

1.Wildfires lead to erosion
Unfortunately, wildfires also affect the property of soils. Burnt materials from
extremely hot fires may infiltrate the soil and form a waxy layer on soil particles. As a
result, water cannot infiltrate the ground during rainfall.As the roots of plants have
been burnt, they can no longer hold the soil particles in place. Consequently, erosion
occurs. What’s more, erosion will tend to be greater on steep slopes. These regions
may already be subject to frequent erosion. Now, the loss of vegetation cover will
make the erosion problem even worse.

2.Leads to secondary hazards like flooding and

landslides
Additionally, erosion can lead to secondary hazards like flooding and landslides
immediately after the fire event. Heavy rainfall after a wildfire may significantly
increase the number of landslides. In general, debris flow can last 2 to 3 years
following wildfires after which normal occurring rain no longer trigger them.For
example, an intense, short-duration rainfall led to debris flow along the Montagna Del
Morrone in 2017 after a wildfire event.

3.pollution

Wildfires typically release smoke, various gases and soot that contribute to air
pollution.In fact, the 2017 North American fire pushed smoke all the way into the
stratosphere, circling the globe in almost two weeks! Generally, it’s volcanic
eruptions that can push smoke that far, rarely fires.

Increase the amount of fine particles in air Smoke and soot

particles increase the amount of fine particles (particulates; diameter < 2.5 µm) in
the air. As it is, wildfires are a major source of particulates which are health hazards.
What’s more, as wind blows, it carries the particulates along. Several times indeed
particulates from fires in Mexico, Central America reached Texas, Southern America.

Wildfires can form smog

Wildfires can also form smog when they release large amounts of carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When sunlight reacts with
these gases, it can produce ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone is a pollutant
that causes health problems like coughing and throat irritation.

4. Wildfires reduce vegetation cover

One of the most problematic impacts of wildfires is that it substantially reduces the
vegetation cover. Whether it occurs in a forest or in a savannah, fire burns most of
the vegetation.Where wildfires are common, most plant species have adaptations to
survive such as thick barks. But plants that are susceptible to fire as mesquite and
juniper die.In the United States, in 2020 only, 58,250 wildfires burned 10.3 million
acres of land, with roughly 40% occurring in California.

Causes of forest fires

The risk of a fire developing is driven by three main factors:

 Dry fuel such as leaves, grass, branches, and other organic materials
 Oxygen in the air
 Heat to ignite and burn

Natural Causes of forest fires

Lightning is the most common ignition source that causes the vast majority of
wildfires. There are two types of lightning: cold and hot. Cold lightning is
usually of short duration and thus rarely a cause of wildfires. The same cannot
be said of hot lightning: currents in hot lightning have less voltage but occur for
a longer period of time. Because of the intense heat it generates, hot lightning
accounts for the majority of natural fires. While this natural phenomenon is
completely unpredictable, adequate land management and landscape fire
management planning can significantly diminish the intensity of wildfires and
prevent unnecessary deaths and the displacement of people and animals.