Fires in nature Flashcards
Define a surface fire
Fires that sweep rapidly over the ground, consuming plants and grasses
Define crown fires
Fires that spread through the canopy
What does the nature of a fire depend on?
- Type of plants involved
- Behaviour of the fire
- Strength of winds
- Topography of the area
What two things are needed for a fire to occur?
An ignition source and fuel
Give some examples of ignition sources
- Lightning strikes
- Carelessly disregarded cigarettes
- Campfires
What makes an area susceptible to fires
Dry vegetation and lightning strikes
Give some regions wildfires are commonly seen
- Australia
- USA and Canada
- Southern Europe
How are fires and natural ecosystems linked
Fires can clear vegetation and aid new seed germination and rid an area of insects
Name some environmental impacts of wildfires
Primary:
- destruction of habitats and ecosystems
- sudden surge of c02
Secondary:
- lack of vegetation leads to a depletion of nutrients
- climate change
Name some social impacts of wildfires
Primary: - loss of life and injury - disruption to power supplies Secondary: - new rules and regulations - need for new employment
Name some economic impacts of wildfires
Primary: - destruction of businesses - loss of crops and livestock Secondary: - cost of rebuilding - cost of future preparedness
Name some political impacts of wildfires
Primary: - pressure on local authorities and emergency services Secondary: - develop strategies for future fires - review current laws
State and explain some methods to manage and prepare for future hazards
- Managing vegetation: controlled burning to reduce litter
- Managing the built environment: increasing the gap between vegetation and houses
- Education: make people aware about home safety and starting fires
- Modelling: studying the way in which fires behave and predict future fire behaviour
- Community action
- Being well insured
State some mitigation methods to dealing with the fire as it happens
- Spraying with water and chemicals
- Removing vegetation (fuel) by back burning ahead of the fire front
- Retardants sprayed to slow the pace of the fire
State some methods to addressing the effects after the fire has occurred
- Replanting trees; to improve the economy of the area, improve water quality and reduce the risk of flooding
- Preparedness; having emergency supplies and survival kits ready
