Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Factors to consider when carrying out a fire risk assessment
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Why is it Important This Last year (2016) wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. It causes environmental damage at $8.9B. The Fort McMurray the wildfire destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. Similarly in India, forest fires have spotted in various places in uttarakhand. These fires, produces clouds of smoke, and set mainly in pine forests in the sub-Himalayan region. They estimated that 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) of forest had been destroyed.
Synopsis In West Warwick, Rhode Island, on February 20th, 2003, during the performance of the band Great White, a fire broke out that eventually claimed the lives of 100 people and injured an additional 200. The band’s tour manager arranged for, and ignited pyrotechnic props, large fireworks designed to display a shower of sparks. Sparks ignited foam soundproofing near stage. The fire spread quickly and quickly.
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.
Australia is currently the driest continent in the world and has a vast history of fire to prove it. Bushfires in the Adelaide Hills were first described and recorded in 1827, and have occurred at frequent intervals since that time. Fire weather can reach extremes in places such as Rudall River National Park in NW Western Australia. Temperatures are often above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), dew points can drop to —37 degrees Celsius, and the winds, uninhibited by trees, can reach speeds of 50-60 km/h (31-37 mph) at any given time in the year. The fuels there may appear to be completely dead, and gaps between plants may be a meter or more (Gill, 1995). In 1966 a massive fire at Brooyar, Queensland had flame heights of 20-25 meters (65-82 feet). In addition to being devastating, the fires are also very unpredictable. A bushfire in the Baulkham Hills in January of 1975 completely destroyed property and some homes, while leaving others untouched. Serious fires occur in the Dandenog Ranges at frequent intervals, and housing there has always been a difficult problem with fire control [3]. Fire has also been used for centuries as an important tool for land management (O’Neill, 1993).
On July 10, 2001 four U.S Forest Service Firefighters died while battling the thirty mile fire. Six others injured including two hikers. The thirty mile fire was the second deadliest fire in Washington state history.
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.
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.
Forest fires kill many animals and usually destroy a large amount of land. Prescribed burns seem like they would be the best idea, but are they? Their claim to fame is to clear out land in order to decrease the burning space for when an actual forest fire occurs. Yet this may seem like a brilliant idea, but one must look at the negative aspects of controlled burnings. People might have a change of heart when they realize the damages and effects of such an interesting act. Keep in mind that not only is your health involved but even such things as the inconvenience of dealing with a smoky town. It is important to understand that prescribed burns cause severe health problems especially to firefighters; these are concerning carbon monoxide poisoning, visibility issues and health risks that will affect the future.
For everyone involved in the Yellowstone fires, there is a particular day that stands out above the rest. For Carol Shively, interpretive ranger, it was July 31st; the day the fire hit West Thumb. “We headed into the geyser basin to clear visitors, but some were reluctant to leave—they were captivated by the mushroom- like clouds of smoke rising to the north, the helicopters dipping low to fill their water buckets in the lake, and the planes dropping red retardant drops that streaked across the sky. And then it came. Tongues of fire whipped through the air and seemed to roll over the horizon toward us. With terrific force, the wall of flames approached the road, hesitated slightly, and then rushed up on the other side, even greater than before. The fire was crowning in the trees surrounding the geyser basin. I stood frozen in place, mesmerized by the sheer power before me.” (The Yellowstone Fires of 1988)
Historically, firefighters have been are our modern day first responders and are the most courageous and loyal people in today’s society. One issue buzzing around the media, however, is that fire departments are going over budget extinguishing wildfires. The definition of a wildfire is a large destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush. To put out any sort of fire, you need to take away any of the three components that fuel it, which include heat, oxygen, and fuel. What most civilians do not know is that most wildfires do have the potential to extinguish themselves, which saves money, health risks and resources. So why are firefighters still spending money to put wildfires out? Due to the overspending on limited natural resources and taxpayer’s money, the fire service should alter their approach on extinguishing naturally started fires, or wildfires.
Thesis: Politicians are proposing sweeping changes in bills, which have caused great controversy, in efforts to correct the problems that the Forest Service has
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.
Wildfires are not always caused by nature though. Careless human beings can cause fires. It can start from a fire not extinguished properly, someone throwing down a match, or even a burning cigarette.
What are forest fires? How do they start? When do they start? What happens after the fire? Well Forest fires in other words wild land fires, is exactly that, a forest on fire; everything in that forest is on fire. They start many different ways, human carelessness, nature, and slash and burn farming. They can start at any time, but the summer time is when they usually begin because of all the sun heat. The aftermath of a forest fire is different as well, damaged property, plants and animals killed, and the air is polluted and people deceased.
Obliterating everything in its path, a bushfire is a natural hazard, which can be defined as wild fires in scrublands and or bushlands, especially one that spreads rapidly and is hard to contain. They can be catastrophic, causing severe damage to properties, the environment and even deaths. And as a result there is an ever-increasing need to prepare for the potential impacts of bushfires.
The Forest fire is occurring very frequently nowadays, reasons for it are a heavy increase in global warming and an increase in temperature.