The Dangers Of Forest Fires

You’ll get amazed of all the wonderful things happening on our planet. All living things big or small make our life so much fun and exciting. However, it’s not always rainbows and butterflies and everything nice. There are cons to living too. Whether it is pollution, human’s evil side, and the wrath of Mother Nature in the form of destructive natural calamities, one can easily perish in an instant if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One of the most understated calamities that can either be man-made or a natural one is forest fires. It can burn millions of acres of land and cross states if the conditions permit. Many animals are displaced because of it and even humans too that live in rural areas and happen to be living nearby. Also known as wildfires or bush fires, forest fires are simply fires happening in rural areas or the countryside that is rich in combustible plants and vegetation. And it is not a new phenomenon because wildfires have been happening for millions of years ago – ever since terrestrial plants first appeared on earth.

This summer, a searing heat wave has helped spawn major fires in the Balkans, parts of Italy and Spain, and southern France and Corsica, as a changing climate affects countries across Southern Europe.

But Portugal has become a particularly stark case of what the future may hold if changes to land, climate and economies go mismanaged.

The deaths in June provoked a fresh round of soul-searching and spurred an investigation, still continuing, into how and why the wildfire engulfed Pedrógão Grande, about 10 miles from where Mr. Muralha lives, close to Oleiros.

Oleiros and its environs are a prime example of the changes to the landscape that have rendered Portugal ever more vulnerable to fire.

The area is a hub for the country’s wood industry. The hamlet where Mr. Muralha lives has just 12 residents, down from about 180 in the 1960s, he said.

(Via: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/world/europe/portugal-forest-fires-pedrogao-grande.html)

Bush fires aren’t just a problem faced by rural dwellers in the United States but in other parts of the world as well. Most of the time, it takes years and decades of rehabilitation before a place struck by such a calamity eventually recovers. It is a concerted effort by the government, NGOs and the community as a whole alongside the natural ability of the landscape to heal and recover. Trees don’t grow in a day or two. It takes months and even years for some to reach a towering height that is characteristic of trees in the forest.

More than 3,000 firefighters struggled yesterday to put out forest fires across Portugal, after the country requested assistance from Europe to fight blazes that threaten to spread with more hot weather in the coming days.
Exceptionally dry and hot weather ignitedPortugal’s worst fire disaster in memory early this summer, killing 64 people, and fires have continued to flare up in recent weeks with the arrival of each new hotter spell of weather.
Interior Minister Constanca Urbana de Sousa said the country sent the request for help to Europe late on Saturday because of concerns that high temperatures and high winds in the coming days could increase the number of fires.
The minister said the request was carried out “because of a question of prudence” due to the weather forecast for coming days, according to news agency Lusa.
It covered requests for firefighting airplanes and firemen and is part of a European mechanism for co-operation to fight fires.

(Via: http://www.gulf-times.com/story/560130/Portugal-asks-for-help-to-battle-forest-fires)

Not only does the environment suffer in the wake of widespread bushfires but it has an effect on the country’s economy as well. Since some of the natural and raw resources we use in various industries can be found in most forests, it is easy to understand how devastating losing access to these resources is when the forest is now devoid of life. And don’t get me started on the harmful gases it emits that contribute to global warming. The list can go on and on.

However, as damaging as it may be, wildfires actually serve a crucial role in shaping various ecosystems by initiating change to take place. So, no matter how difficult it may be, don’t hesitate in planting anew after tragedies like bushfires. Ensure that dead and burnt trees are removed from the ground. http://www.allcleartree.com/removal may be of help as tree removal is their expertise. Only then can new trees be planted if the old ones are no longer there.

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source http://www.allcleartree.com/removal/dangers-forest-fires