There are few natural phenomena with the scope and complexity of a forest fire (Van Wagner [1]). Rekindles or reignitions that reburn an area over which a previous fire has passed but leaving fuel that later ignites due to latent heat, sparks, or embers (NWCG [2]) is an amazing part of that phenomena. For instance fuel complexes that exhibit heavy fuel loads and deep organic layers. Namely under the decomposing leaf litter there are a compact organic horizon in which the ground or subsurface fires will remain burning slowly (Lourenço and Rainha [3]). Near rivers, peat bogs, old forests, and large decaying logs are prone to such fire persistence. As a result of the dryness left after the passage of the main fire front. Especially in major dry spells or droughts (Henderson and Muraro [4], Alexander [5]). Such underground burning in a smouldering stage can erupt into flames when it gets the surface exposing this heated fuel to air (6).
Throughout the summer of 2010, Portugal had 14,551 primary wildfires. 17.2% of them rekindled in an additional 2,497 fires, leading to a total of 17,048 which accounted for 95% of the total annual burnt area of 132,241 ha (Pacheco [7]). These figures might be worse. Several authors suggest that the amount of rekindled forest fires is higher than the officially reported (Lourenço and Rainha [3], ANIF [8]). Expert-judgment elicitation in our interviews points to the double. Even assuming that the available information is correct, there are too many rekindles (Beighley and Hyde [9]). This is a concerning situation that has gotten worse over the years (ANIF [8]), and results from ineffective mop-up operations (Lourenço and Rainha [3], ANIF [8], Beighley and Hyde [9], ISA [10], Lourenço [11], Murdock...
... middle of paper ...
.... 387-395, 2005.
[17] AFN, I., Monitorização e Avaliação do Plano Nacional de Defesa da Floresta Contra Incêndios, 2009/2010 - Relatório Final Preliminar, Autoridade Florestal Nacional, 2011.
[18] Fernandes, P. M., “Forest fires in Galicia (Spain): The outcome of unbalanced fire management,” Journal of Forest Economics, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 155-157, 2008.
[19] Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º 65/2006, PNDFCI, 2006.
[20] Oliveira, T., "Relatório da visita ao Chile," Protecção Florestal, grupo Portucel Soporcel, 2011.
[21] Ahrens, M., Brush, Grass, and Forest Fires, 0877650357, National Fire Protection Association, Fire Analysis and Research Division, 2010.
[22] Pacheco, A. P., Oliveira, T., & Claro, J., "Simulation analysis of the impact of ignitions, rekindles and false alarms on the performance of forest fire suppression," FEUP, University of Porto, 2012.
It is so sad to see the horror of forest fires and how they corrupt our beautiful land. So much damage comes out of what started so small. At least 603 square miles of land were burned in the early stages of the Arizona fire only a couple of years ago (BBC 2). In a Colorado fire 2.3 million acres had been burned (BBC 3). That land could have been saved if the use of prescribed burns had been in the area.
The ecological effects of wildfires on Yosemite are among some its greatest benefits. Trees like Bishop Pines and Sequoias have evolved in such a way that their seeds will only open when exposed to high temperatures. The fires also help to clear out dead leaves and weeds, thereby making sunlight accessible to new plants and increasing their chances to germinate (Marder). Wildfires are so essential in areas like Yosemite that over millions of years, plants have developed strategies to be successful in this type of environment. For instance, giant sequoias have developed a thick layer of fire-resistant bark. This bark is “the main explanation for tree survival in intense fires” (Gignoux, Colbert, and Menaut). Fire makes the soil fertile and redistributes the nutrients evenly so that the next generation of trees can cover more space. The fires have helped...
Fire plays a huge role in natural forests. The let it burn policy allows natural fires to burn unless, they threaten people, property, or endangered species. This policy allows the years and years of kindling that has fallen and piled up on the forest floor to burn up in smaller fires, instead of having huge devastating fire like the ones that burning for months in 1910 and 1988. When the west was first settled, forests were thinned by lumber companies that logged the trees and burned the logging debris, and by ranchers looking to increase pasture land. The last herder coming out of the mountains would set a fire to ensure good forage for the next year.
The United States Department of agriculture Forest Service investigation report on the thirty mile fire.
Wildfires started as an annual and seasonal occurrence in the south western region of California since the early 1930’s in part because of the hot dry summers and the hot dry turbulent Santa Ana winds that blow in from the desert during the fall months. Now it has become a yearlong event (Mckay, 2010). These conditions greatly contribute to the “fire season” throughout this area. This set of circumstances in conjunction with downed power lines and humans that ignited fires took place in October of 2007. This led to a series of fires that burned more than 500,000 acres, destroyed 1,500 homes, killed 9, injured 85, and forced the successful evacuation of around 500,000 people out of harm’s way.
Policies regarding the handling of wildland fires continue to change and evolve as new information is learned each fire season. Attitudes have changed between complete wildland fire suppression to no suppression at all. We now seem to have reached a balance between the two schools of thought and fall somewhere in the middle.
The most pressing issue facing Detroit, in regard to fire, is the steady amount of burning vacant or delipidated buildings, and second to that is the high rate of home fires. For the purposes of this project, the capabilities of
Pruning of trees to remove dead and diseased branches was critical to the longevity of the trees. Those diseased branches may have infected the entire tree (“Why Prune a Tree”). We also helped prevent potential brush fires by removing the brush in the area surrounding the education center. From 2007-2011 in the United States, there were an estimated 334,200 fires. Forty-one percent were brush fires (Ahrens).
As people of the twenty-first century, we are all too familiar with the frequent occurrence of wildfires in our nation’s forests. Each year millions of acres of woodlands are destroyed in brutal scorches. It has been estimated that 190 million acres of rangelands in the United States are highly susceptible to catastrophic fires (www.doi.gov/initiatives/forest.html.). About a third of these high-risk forests are located in California (www.sfgate.com). These uncontrollable blazes not only consume our beautiful forests but also the wildlife, our homes and often the lives of those who fight the wildfires. The frequency of these devastating fires has been increasing over the years. In fact, in the years 2000 and 2002, it has been reported that the United States has faced its worst two years in fifty years for mass destruction fires (www.doi.gov/initiatives/forest.html.). The increased natural fuels buildup coupled with droughts have been a prevailing factor in contributing to our wildfires and unhealthy forests (www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2004/pr040303_forests.html). Due to the severity of these wildfires, several regulations and guidelines have been implemented to save our forests. In fact, the President himself has devised a plan in order to restore our forests and prevent further destruction of our woodlands.
Humans have been changing the Western forests' fire system since the settlement by the Europeans and now we are experiencing the consequences of those changes. During the summer of 2002, 6.9 million acres of forests was burnt up in the West (Wildland Fires, 1). This figure is two times the ten year annual average, and it does not look like next summer will be any better (Wildfire Season, 1). Foresters have been trying to restore the forests back to their original conditions by thinning and prescribed fires but have encountered countless delays. Politicians are proposing sweeping changes in bills, which have caused great controversy, in efforts to correct the problems that the Forest Service has faced in restoration projects. Are these bills necessary or is there a better solution that politicians are overlooking?
California alone was estimated at “2 billion” in funds during wildland season according to Arun Malik. In the forest service they have been managing fire for over 100 years. Spending tons and tons of money managing the forest every year. Managing the forest is great, it minimizes the outcome. It will not stop the fire entirely, however it will prevent mass destruction of the forest, and prevent communities and peoples property from getting destroyed. Close to 3,500 people caused wildland fires in the past 10 years. Which is understandable, most wild fires are caused by people, and people are not going to change, there is always going to be that one person that throws the match or lighter on the ground and walks away. Like I was saying fires are getting expensive and is a big issue in forestry
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the shrub one of the100 worst invasive species in the world. It is also a Weed of National Significance making it one of the 20 most problematic species in Australia. It is believed that the weed increases fire risk in the Queensland rainforest by changing where the fuel beds lay. Lantana camara, is known for being extremely invasive and detrimental to the biodiversity; it can be found in various tropical and sub-tropical environments on about 60 continents. The weeds alter soil quality, water availability and fire regimes which was studied in this paper. Two mechanism were studied, such as whether the fires were caused because the weeds are more flammable than native species, or did the change in forest structure from the weeds allow fire to spread. Leaf and twig dry matter was measured and burned in laboratory trials. L. camara was discovered to be less flammable than the native species in the area; meaning that the first mechanism hypothesis was not accurate. To test the second mechanism fuel bed depths, percentage cover by fuels, and amount of medium-size class fuels were measured. These were found to be higher in the parts of the tropical forests
Fire at any level can be devastating, yet the effects that wildfires have on every worldwide country really has left its mark on the land. As written by world renowned wild fire spokesperson Smokey the Bear, “Every year, wildfires sweeps through parts of the United States setting wilderness and homes ablaze. On average these raging infernos destroy about four to five million acres of land a year. But in 2012, wildfire burned more than 9.3 million acres, an area about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined” (U.S. Wildfires). Destroying homes, crops, towns and of course forests. Yet the effects of these fires can be seen from a negative perspective as well as some positive. Plus there are natural causes as well as manmade that makes these destructive fires erupt and become almost unstoppable in seconds.
The authors suggest that the utilization of woody biomass is beneficial to the forest ecosystem, the environment, forest landowners, and society; stating that, woody biomass can help to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, to create healthier forests, and to reduce the risk of wildfires. This was supported by Alistair (2003) who suggested that many log residue benefits could be derived, especially when the world’s energy source is dwindling and our climate
The Forest fire is occurring very frequently nowadays, reasons for it are a heavy increase in global warming and an increase in temperature.