Why bushfires must be avoided (2023)

FAQs

Why should we prevent wildfires? ›

These preventable wildfires threaten lives, property and our precious natural resources. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a public land pro, you play a valuable role in preventing wildfires and protecting our natural resources.

Effects of bush burning

Destroys vegetation cover leading to soil erosion. Causes air pollution. Destroys; insects and animals habitats. Destroys pastures and water shed points.

Risks. Bushfires can cause serious property and infrastructure damage and lead to loss of life. The fire itself is only one element of the danger. Other impacts from bushfires include the effects of radiant heat and smoke.

Vegetation fire management contributes to SDGs:

Fire is an important factor in the management of many forests, woodlands and other vegetation types. It can be an efficient management tool for clearing land, removing debris and reducing fuel loads, although alternatives should always be considered.

Bush burning is the removal of the natural vegetation cover that protects the soil surface through the use of fire. This exposes the land to the effect of wind, water erosion and ultraviolet radiation. Bush burning has detrimental effect to the environment, health and the economy.

Burning bush is considered invasive in certain areas because it can threaten existing plants and biodiversity. The bush is dominant and seeds prolifically, which means it can force out other plants, especially herbaceous and native woody plant species.

Bush fires impoverish the soil by destroying organic matter in the soil, and increasing leaching, wind and water erosion. They are a major forestry problem in the high forest area and Northern Ghana. They also pose major problems on rice, cocoa, mango and kapok plantations.

Bush burning increases the emission of greenhouse gases causing climate change and global warming, ultimately depleting the ozone layer, increasing the sun rays on our skin.

EFFECT OF FOREST FIRE

loss of biodiversity and extinction of plants and animals. loss of wildlife habitat and depletion of wildlife. loss of natural regeneration and reduction in forest cover. global warming.

It plays a key role in shaping ecosystems by serving as an agent of renewal and change. But fire can be deadly, destroying homes, wildlife habitat and timber, and polluting the air with emissions harmful to human health. Fire also releases carbon dioxide—a key greenhouse gas—into the atmosphere.

How does fire impact the environment? ›

In forests where fire is not a natural disturbance, it can have devastating impacts on forest vertebrates and invertebrates - not only killing them directly, but also leading to longer-term indirect effects such as stress and loss of habitat, territories, shelter and food.

Attach a fire sprinkler system to gutters. Keep lawns short and gardens well maintained. Cut back trees and shrubs overhanging buildings. Clean up fallen leaves, twigs and debris around the property.

What causes bushfires? Bushfires are the result of a combination of weather and vegetation (which acts as a fuel for the fire), together with a way for the fire to begin – most commonly due to a lightning strike and sometimes human-influences (mostly accidental such as the use of machinery which produces a spark).

One of the main ways to reduce bushfire risk is to reduce the amount of fuels – fuels are grass, leaf litter, twigs, bark and other vegetation that can burn during a bushfire. We do this through planned burning, grass slashing and mulching.

A fire risk assessment is necessary to create a fire safety policy in a non-domestic building, it ensures that all eventualities are reviewed, in order to protect not only the building, but the people in it.

Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen are also hazardous as they cause respiratory disorders and irritant respectively. Apart from the soil destruction and desert encroachment caused by bush burning, it has also had a marked increase in global warming due to the emission of N[O.

Bushfires can be started naturally, as a result of something like lightning. They can also be started accidentally by people, or as a result of arson, which is the purposeful burning down of property.

Work out what you need to do first, small steps at a time, check that power, phone, water, gas and sewerage/septic tanks are functioning. You may need to call essential services. Check on neighbours. Follow public health guidance on safe cleanup of fire ash and safe use of masks.

Burning Bush is a prodigious seed producer, and seeds can be spread far by birds. The displacement of native shrubs and perennials has negative consequences for the ecological health of our communities.

However, bushfires causing volatilization of nutrients can reach extremely high temperatures, especially at the end of the dry season when vegetation is very dry. The effects can be damaging to soil structure and plant stability.

What are the benefits of bushfires? ›

Bushfire and ecology

Research shows bushfires help provide nutrients that native vegetation specifically needs to rejuvenate and seed. And in many cases, certain plant species that have gone dormant can be rejuvenated following a fire event.

Fire removes low-growing underbrush, cleans the forest floor of debris, opens it up to sunlight, and nourishes the soil. Reducing this competition for nutrients allows established trees to grow stronger and healthier. History teaches us that hundreds of years ago forests had fewer, yet larger, healthier trees.

While there's no safe level of air pollution, bushfire smoke is particularly hazardous because of the presence of tiny particles, or particulate matter (PM). This is both soot that builds up during combustion, and ash that breaks down from the remnants of burnt fuel.

Beyond the human and societal impacts, wildfires also affect the Earth's climate. Forests in particular store large amounts of carbon. When they burn, they immediately release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which in turn contributes to climate change.

Fire control changed the course of human evolution, allowing our ancestors to stay warm, cook food, ward off predators and venture into harsh climates. It also had important social and behavioral implications, encouraging groups of people to gather together and stay up late.

Experts in favor of letting natural forest fires burn unchecked argue that fire suppression disrupts the natural forest cycle and endangers the livelihoods of people who depend on the forest, and the wellbeing of the plants and animals living there.

To put the carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires into perspective, September 2020 data from the Global Fire Emissions Database show that California wildfires in 2020 generated more than 91 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

A Bushfire Emergency Plan is a written set of instructions that details what occupants and visitors to a site should do in preparation, response, and following a bushfire emergency.

Bushfire: Effects

Large areas of land and nature are destroyed. Wild animals and people are killed. Homes are burned down. Livestock and agricultural land are threatened or destroyed.

Who is at greater risk from bushfire smoke? People with heart disease, or lung diseases like asthma and emphysema. Older adults, because they are more likely to have heart or lung disease. Children, because they have developing airways and breathe more air relative to their body weight.

Who is most at risk during a fire? ›

Northwest Western Australia and the Northern Territory—winter and spring. In the warm, dry and sunny winter and spring, when grasses are dead and fuels have dried, northern Australia becomes most susceptible to bushfires.

They spread air pollution not only nearby, but thousands of miles away—causing breathing difficulties in even healthy individuals, not to mention children, older adults and those with heart disease, diabetes, asthma, COPD and other lung diseases. Take wildfire threats seriously and be prepared.

The health impact of bushfire smoke

Smoke from bushfires is made up of very small particles and gases. Smoke particles in the air can irritate your eyes, nose and throat. The particles are so small they can also penetrate deep into the lungs and aggravate existing lung and heart conditions.

The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria claimed 173 lives over 21 days- the largest number of deaths recorded for any individual Australian bushfire or bushfire season.

They can start naturally, when lightning strikes and ignites dry plants and trees, like the golden wattle tree. But they can also be caused by people, for example, by someone not extinguishing their campfire properly. Sadly, sometimes fires are started by someone deliberately.

Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. Smoke detectors and smolder-resistant bedding and upholstered furniture are significant fire deterrents.

Upper levels are often constructed of lightweight materials that are more flammable and vulnerable to direct flame contact from burning trees. The ground floor is generally a safer space to shelter. The ground level usually has more external doors from which the occupant can escape.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments respond to over 350,000 home structure fires a year nationwide, causing almost $7 billion in direct damage.

Bushfire and ecology

Research shows bushfires help provide nutrients that native vegetation specifically needs to rejuvenate and seed. And in many cases, certain plant species that have gone dormant can be rejuvenated following a fire event.

What are bushfires facts for kids? ›

Bushfires are wildfires that burn in grasslands, scrublands, or forests. They are sometimes called forest fires. Although bushfires are often considered natural disasters, more than 90 percent of them are started by people, either accidentally or deliberately. The most common natural cause is lightning.

Australia is prone to bushfires and floods. These natural disasters often have serious effects on people's health, including: burns and smoke inhalation.