Wildfires: A Growing Threat to Our Environment

Introduction

What doesn’t the jungle give us? Fresh air to breathe, food, water, fuel, medicine and shelter. It gives us everything. This forest means to us, how the quality of our life will be. It is to a great extent dependent on the jungle. If the jungle is safe, then we are safe. And if the jungle is in trouble, then we are in danger too.

Now, you may be sad to know that the problem of the jungle has started to increase. Because the cases of fires in the jungles are increasing rapidly. Not only India, but wildfires are spreading in every corner of the world. In such a situation, how is this fire in the jungles affecting our lives? How and what are the losses to them? You should know this. Because now it’s time for our survival. So your next few minutes are made to invest in this article to read and understand.

What is a Wildfire?

When there is a fire in a forest or grass field, it is called a wildfire. It can happen anywhere and anytime. All the wildfires that have spread so far, 50% of them have not even known how it started. Why did this kind of fire happen? The largest tropical rainforest in the world, Amazon, caught fire.

lakhs of acres of land was burnt to ashes and it is now very difficult to pay for this loss. In the same way, whether it is the fire in the forest of Siberia or the fire in the forest of California in the United States, their causes and effects are almost the same.

Wildfires in India

In India, the issue of wildfires has also begun to increase. Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland were on the Manipur border for a long time. There was a terrible fire in the forest in Odisha’s Simlipal National Park. And in Madhya Pradesh, in the Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve and in Gujarat, there have been incidents of wildfires in the forests.

Impact of Wildfires

Wildfire is such a dangerous situation, despite this, it is increasing rapidly and the damage to it is also. This fire is uncontrolled, whatever comes in its way, it takes it in its clutches. Whether it is a tree plant or an animal or a human, it just spreads rapidly. Because of this, the forests are cleaned up by a large part of the land. This wildfire causes severe damage to humans and the environment. It can be called unwanted, unpredictable and unplanned fire.

Intensity of Wildfires

Wildfire is so extreme that it can burn at a temperature of more than 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is much hotter than the surface of Venus planet, Approximately twice. You must know that the Earth sister Venus planet is the hottest planet of the solar system.

So then you imagine that this fire in the jungle is so terrible and it will burn everything to ashes. The flames of this wildfire can reach up to a height of 50 meters. And it is not easy to stop them at all. Trees, plants, grass and houses all work as fuel for this fire. And the more fuel there is in the area, the faster and more dangerous the fire.

Apart from fuel, oxygen and heat sources spread the wildfire rapidly. The risk of this wildfire increases even more in dry conditions. Just like during dry days and during strong winds, its risk of spreading increases.

Types of Wildfires

There are three basic types of this wildfire, ground fires, surface fires and ground fires. In the ground fires type wildfire, the trees burn to the full length and the fire spreads rapidly from one tree to the top of the other tree. This is the most intense and dangerous wildfire.

Surface fires are only applied to dry leaves and grass. It is easy to extinguish this fire and the forest suffers the least damage from it.

When we talk about ground fires, many times it is also called underground fires. This humus is used in peat and dead vegetation. It is a very slow-growing fire, many times it is not even known to be there and it can burn for months. If it gets favorable conditions, it can also take the form of a surface fire or crown fire.

Causes of Wildfires

After knowing about these three types of wildfires, it is now time to find out the reasons for wildfires. So we learned that to start the fire, oxygen, heat and fuel. So now let’s know that these foresters are called fire triangles. Fire increases rapidly in that direction where one of these three elements is more.

In order to control this fire, it is necessary to immediately control one of these three elements. Often we understand that if there is a fire in a forest, it must have some natural reasons. But in reality, only 10% of the wildfire is due to natural reasons and the remaining 90% is the result of human mistakes.

1. Natural Causes

There are two natural reasons for the fire in the electricity and fire-breathing forests. The electricity that causes the wildfire is called hot lightning and it lasts for a long time. And the hot lava that comes out of the fire when it reaches the nearby forests is also enough to start the wildfire.

2. Human Causes

Now, it is important to know how we humans are involved in the beginning of this wildfire. So humans make very small mistakes that take the form of wildfire. Most of these are unknowingly done acts, but its damage takes up the entire jungle. And we too. What are these mistakes? Let’s know.

Leaving burnt cigarette pieces on the ground
Fire in the jungle
Burning mulba, which is not wrong. But no one knows when it will take a negative form with the wind.
Without looking at the safe location, campfire can be the reason for wildfire.
The failure of any equipment or the fast spread of fire from the spark of the engine.

Now you must be thinking all these are very small things, right? But these mistakes that are made in our ignorance, how much they shake the environment, you must be able to understand now. This way, natural and human activities cause a huge fire in the forests and the results are very terrible.

Consequences of Wildfires

These wildfires leave a billion tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which causes a lot of damage to the climate.
Birds, squirrels, rabbits and many other birds and animals living in the forests lose their lives.
The number of trees decreases rapidly and it is not possible to get food and oxygen without trees.
Many families depend on the forests for food and fuel, and they suffer a lot due to wildfire. Many families become homeless.
This burns down small bushes and grass, which causes soil erosion, and the nutrients from the soil also disappear.
The risk of landslides also increases significantly.
Air pollution increases rapidly. which causes many serious health problems.
If this fire is very strong, it can also speed up the depletion process of the ozone layer.
That is, in every way, the environment is at risk. Air quality also falls from wildfires, property also loses, crops, resources, animals and people, everyone is badly affected by it.
This forest fire stops transportation, communications, power and gas services and water supply. which also has a bad effect on the economy.

Preventing Wildfires

Now the question is, how can we prevent this wildfire from starting and spreading? So which of our solutions can save us from these difficult circumstances? Let’s find out.

If we make an intention to follow local regulations and laws related to burning fire, and keep in mind which materials have permission to burn and which do not have permission to burn, then we can prevent such fires to a large extent.
If we know how the weather will be today before burning anything around the jungle and in which area there is more risk of fire, then too we can avoid burning anything in windy days.
We can also be alert for such risk areas, where the fire is quick.
Before ever campfire, we can find out about that area of the jungle, whether it is a safe location or not.
Along with this, we also keep in mind that only organic materials like leaves and wood should be added to the campfire. Because by adding anything to the fire, those materials can quickly incite the fire and more problems can be created in that area.
After enjoying our picnic, we should not leave the campfire burning at all. Cover it completely, add a lot of water to it and keep adding until the heasing sound stops. If there is no water, then a lot of mud or sand should be poured from the furnace so that it is completely closed and there is no danger of fire.
Even if food is made during the picnic, the burning woods should not be left, they should be completely extinguished. If the burning things are kept away from the fire, then this problem can be avoided. For this, by removing the leaves, branches and grass in 10-foot diameter circles from the fire, should be removed.

Preventing Wildfires (Continued)

Do not even intend to light a fire while roaming in the jungle. This can be dangerous.
Now, you should not smoke a cigarette, but if a cigarette is a smoker, it should not be thrown without extinguishing the cigarette, otherwise it can catch fire and a small spark can destroy the entire jungle.
If dry garbage is stored in the jungle in the summer season, even then the chances of fire can be reduced.
And if there is ever a fire, then immediately a circle of water should be made around it so that the fire can be prevented from spreading further.
If you see a fire, immediately inform the fire brigade.
Also, avoid going to the jungle during a fire.

Conclusion

Friends, now you know what wildfire is, how it feels and to what extent we are responsible for spreading it. You have also learned how we can prevent wildfire from happening. I hope you are understanding that wildfire is causing so much damage to us and our environment.

We can save ourselves from this. So everyone should try every time, no matter what small or big level you are at. Then tell us in the comment section that you will also take care of all these things from today because you are also an environment lover.

If the article is helpful, then you will like it, you will also share it as much as possible. Because we often go out for a walk, so we do all these things to enjoy. So it is not forbidden to not do this, but when to do it, when not to do it, we have to take care of all these guidelines from today onwards. So just keep these small things in mind.