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Hazards > Fires in Nature > Flashcards

Fires in Nature Flashcards

1
Q

What are surface fires?

A

Fires that sweep rapidly over the ground

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2
Q

What can ground temperatures reach during surface fires?

A

Over 1000 degrees C

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3
Q

What are crown fires?

A

Fires that occur and spread through the canopy of trees.

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4
Q

What does the nature of fire depend upon?

A

Type of plant
Strength of wind
Topography

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5
Q

What does the nature of the fire mainly depend on after the fire has dried out the vegetation?

A

The wind

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6
Q

What two things are needed for a fire to spread?

A

An ignition source and fuel

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7
Q

What is the main source of ignition for natural fires?

A

A lightening strike

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8
Q

What affects the frequency of electrical storms?

A

Climate

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9
Q

What is another cause of fire?

A

Human intervention

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10
Q

In which ways do humans start wildfires?

A 
Falling power lines
Carelessly discarded cigarettes 
Children playing with matches
Camp fires
Agricultural fires (controlled burning)
Arson
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11
Q

What had led to an increased danger of wildfires in the USA and Australia?

A

Tourism

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12
Q

What does the fuel of a fire need to be?

A

Sufficient quality and dry enough to burn

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13
Q

What does climate affect (aside from frequency of electrical storms)?

A

The frequency and duration of droughts during which the vegetation and litter has an opportunity to accumulate and dry out.
The type of vegetation that will grow in an area
The rate at which litter will be produced

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14
Q

Do fires tend to be a rural or urban hazard?

A

Rural

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15
Q

List 3 places that are susceptible to fires?

A

Southern Europe
Australia
California
Canada

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16
Q

What makes areas more susceptible to fires?

A

Dry vegetation and lightning strikes
Dry season
Semi-arid climate – susceptible to drought

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17
Q

How can fires affect ecosystems?

A

They clear vegetation and aid seed germination
Stimulate the growth of certain plants
Rid an area of insects and some parasites

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18
Q

What is the name of species that can withstand fire?

A

Pyrophytic

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19
Q

How is the baobab tree pyrophytic?

A

It has resistant bark

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20
Q

Where can the banksia plant be found?

A

Australia

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21
Q

Why does the banksia plant need fire?

A

It needs fire to open its woody fruit and therefore regenerate

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22
Q

Why has fire not been a real hazard to tropical rainforests?

A

Due to the tropical climate

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23
Q

Why have the Amazon Basin and Indonesia experienced wildfires in recent years despite being tropical rainforests?

A

Forest clearance has gotten out of hand

24
Q

Why do wildfires in the Los Angeles Basin get lots of media coverage?

A

They threaten the homes of celebrities

25
Q

What type of vegetation is much of the Los Angeles Basin covered in?

A

Drought-resistant chaparral

26
Q

What type of wind increases the threat of forest fires in the Los Angeles Basin?

A

A dry wind called Santa Ana that descends from the local mountains and increases the dryness of the vegetation so that it can spark
The wind can also encourage the spread of fire

27
Q

What further increases the issue of wildfires in Los Angeles?

A

Much of the area outside the centre of Los Angeles consists of low-density building where the natural vegetation has been allowed to remain between properties, exposing a large number of properties to the fire risk

28
Q

What are the 6 direct effects of wildfires?

A 
Loss of crops, timber and livestock
Loss of life
Loss of property
Release of toxic gases and particulates
Loss of wildlife
Damage to soil structure and nutrient content
29
Q

How much money is spent per day fighting wildfires in the USA?

A

$10 million

30
Q

How many people lost their lives in the Victoria bushfires?

A

173

31
Q

When were the Victoria bushfires?

A

2009

32
Q

Why do some people die in forest fires?

A

Some fires move so fast that people become trapped

33
Q

Why are urban areas becoming more susceptible to fires?

A

Due to urban expansion

34
Q

What is the Southeast Asia ‘haze’?

A

A fire-related large-scale air pollution that occurs regularly

35
Q

What causes the Southeast Asia ‘haze’?

A

Illegal agricultural fires due to slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia

36
Q

Which countries are affected by the Southeast Asia haze?

A

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

37
Q

What have the governments of the countries affected by the Southeast Asia haze demanded?

A

That Indonesia takes action against companies that are responsible for the illegal forest fires.

38
Q

What did fires destroy in Indonesia in 1997?

A

The Wein River orangutan sanctuary on Kalimantan

39
Q

Why can soil structure and nutrient content be damages by fires?

A

Due to the heat

40
Q

What are the 7 ways in which the effects of wildfires can me mitigated?

A 
Managing the vegetation
Managing the built environment 
Modelling
Education
Warning systems
Community action
Insurance
41
Q

Explain how vegetation can be managed

A

Controlled burning removes much of the litter

Fire breaks in the vegetation are made in advance

42
Q

How is the built environment managed?

A

Gaps between houses and vegetation
Incorporating fore-resistant methods into construction (use stone or brick instead of wood and fit spark arresters to chimneys)

43
Q

How does modelling work?

A

Involves studying the ways in which fires behave with computer simulations in order to comprehend and predict fire behaviour

44
Q

How can warning systems be put into place?

A

Establishing look out towers
Air patrols
Notice boards

45
Q

How may lives were lost in the 1983 Victoria fires?

A

47

46
Q

How many homes were destroyed in the 1983 Victoria fires?

A

Over 2000

47
Q

How much did the Victoria fires in 1983 cost?

A

Around AU $200 million

48
Q

What programme was established as a result f the 1983 Victoria fires?

A

Community Fireguard

49
Q

What was the purpose of Community Fireguard?

A

To assist people in developing their own fire survival strategies

50
Q

Is Community Fireguard top down or bottom up?

A

It is more bottom up as the authorities tried to avoid using the top down approach that they had used before

51
Q

What fire survival techniques did the local residents set up as a result of Community Fireguard?

A 
Buffer zones
Warning systems
Brush and street clean ups
Equipment training sessions
Preparing emergency plans
52
Q

How do authorities deal with wildfire events?

A

Spray water and chemicals from the ground and air (costly)
Beat out flames
Bull dozing large breaks in vegetation
Use of retardants

53
Q

What do retardants do?

A

Slow down the pace of the fire

54
Q

Where are retardants used?

A

In areas that are fairly inaccessible

Where human safety and structures are endangered

55
Q

Where are trees replanted after such events?

A

In commercial forestry areas

56
Q

Why are trees replanted in commercial forestry areas?

A

To improve the economy of the areas affected by fire

57
Q

Why are trees planted on unprotected slopes?

A

To try and stabilise slopes which could otherwise experience mudslides as a result of flash flooding
To improve water quality

Hazards (15 decks)

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