Conditions needed – climate, fuel characteristics, vegetation type and fire behaviour
- A warmer climate is needed for an extended period of time would lead to an arid climate where moisture levels are low because of the higher rates of evaporation. Therefore, the dry conditions would make it easier for a wildfire to form.
- Fuel characteristics- vegetation should be as dry as possible so it allows for the fire to take place. The finer the vegetation the easier and quicker it is for a fire to catch onto, but the denser it is, the more intense the fire becomes.
- Vegetation type- some vegetation like pine leaves have higher levels of oil than other leaves, so this allows the fire to burn longer as they have a better fuel source. This can be beneficial as this would slow the fire down in some ways.
- Fire behaviour- there are different ways in which a fire can burn like a crown fire, ladder fire, ground or surface fire. A crown fire is able to pass through the canopies of trees. A ladder fire is the process where a fire begins to climb up trees which condemned Leeds to a crown file. A ground fire is when the dry soil itself begins to burn. A surface fire is when the fire clears all the combustible vegetation on the surface of the ground. The fire is able to travel many miles due to firebrands which is when the main fire throws embers ahead of the direction of the main fire. Spotting is when a wildfire throws embers which are carried by the wind onto a new vegetated area.
Preparedness-satellite image can be used to monitor woodland areas for heat signatures which can be used to show a wildfire. Spotters can be used where people are on the ground watching out for fires
Mitigation- forward burning, where people undergo controlled burning to reduce the magnitude of vegetation the so the fire won’t be able to grow.
Prevention- since 96% of ward fires are caused by humans, there can be education about it. For example, in the US, the Smokey bear campaign which has been running since 1944, which educates people about the dangers of uncontrolled fires and barbecues. It’s estimated that 70% of the people are able to record this message. Others can include exclusions about open fires.
Adaptation- at homes can be adapted to reduce impacts like having slate tiles, regularly cleaning gutters, trimming surrounding trees, reducing its density, creating a dispensable circle around your home, keeping gas and wood away from houses.
There is an argument that wildfires are necessary because they occur as part of the natural system. In the long term, the ashes produced will enter soils adding nutrients and minerals which increases its fertility. Therefore, are able to increase the amount of vegetation that can grow. It eradicates diseases and stimulates germination of some seeds.
Evidence shows that they are increasing in frequency because of more extreme weather patterns. For instance, in Alberta Canada, prior to the wildfire of Fort McMurray, there was a fall in snow during the last winter, which meant that the litter was drier than usual. Though, a counterargument is that the reason more are being recorded is the cause of improved monitoring. Previously, poor communication would have meant a fire may have occurred in an isolated place and we would not have known about it.