Wildfires

What are some of the primary social impacts of wildfires?

• deaths

• injuries

• displacement of people

• damage to power lines and power supplies

• damage to mobile phone stations and telephone exchanges, affecting communications

What are some of the secondary social impacts of wildfires?

• new employment and income stream required

• behavioural adaptations (people may have to abide by new rules and regulations)

What are some of the primary economic impacts of wildfires?

• damage/destruction of structures

• loss of earnings

• destruction of businesses

• loss of crops and livestock

What are some of the secondary economic impacts of wildfires?

• rebuilding

• possible relocation

• replacement of farm infrastructure, crops, fruit, trees, livestock, etc.

• cost of future preparedness and mitigation

What are some of the primary environmental impacts of wildfires?

• destruction of habitats and ecosystems

• death and injury of animals, impacting food chains and webs

• short-term surge of carbon dioxide due to the burning of carbon stores (trees)

• atmospheric pollution resulting from smoke and water pollution as toxic ash is washed into water courses

What are some of the secondary environmental impacts of wildfires?

• lack of trees and vegetation depletes nutrient stores, increases leaching, and increases flood risk

• increased carbon emissions impact the greenhouse effect and climate change

• effects on ecosystem development 

What are some of the primary political impacts of wildfires?

• actions of emergency services

• responses of local and national government 

• state of emergency status 

• response of local authorities in the immediate aftermath

What are some of the secondary political impacts of wildfires?

• developing strategies for preparedness and mitigation 

• decisions about replanting forests, compensation, future regulations, etc.

• reviewing laws and advice regarding use of countryside for leisure

What are some of the benefits of wildfires?

• clearing vegetation, aiding new seed germination

• stimulating the growth of trees and plants when ash is added to the soil

• ridding an area of insects and harmful parasites

• ridding an area of diseased plants

• burnt out trees can provide nesting sites for birds

• decaying, dead trees release nutrients into the soil

• pyrophytic plants are fire-resistant (e.g., the Baobab tree, Africa)

• Banksia trees in Australia are naturally adapted to wildfires

wildfire

a large, uncontrolled, destructive fire that burns quickly over woodland or grassland

What type of hazard are wildfires?

biohazards

What are the three types of wildfire?

• ground fires

• surface fires

• crown fires

ground fire

the ground burns (e.g., peat, tree roots) slowly with no flame and little smoke

surface fire

leaf litter and low-lying vegetation burn

crown fire

fire moves rapidly and intensely through the canopy

What conditions are needed for wildfires?

• thick undergrowth

• closely spaced trees

• trees containing lots of oil (e.g., pine, eucalyptus)

• fine, dry material (e.g., twigs)

• flammable plants

• large amounts of fuel

• dry weather/dry seasons/droughts

• high temperatures/heatwaves

• strong winds

• an ignition source

How are wildfires distributed?

• most frequent in hot areas with drought

• on every continent except Antarctica

• mainly rural areas

• now occur within the boundaries of settlements with continued human habitation expansion

• areas most susceptible to wildfires are those with a combination of dry vegetation and lightning strikes

What are some human causes of wildfires?

• sparks from machinery

• cigarettes

• fireworks

• barbecues

• campfires

• arson

• managed fires

What are some natural causes of wildfires?

• lightning 

• volcanic eruptions

What is El Niño?

• a part of the natural climate phenomenon called the El Niño Southern Oscilation (ENSO)

• the ENSO has two opposite states - El Niño and La Niña

• a cyclical climatic condition

• occurs every 6-8 years on average

• involves the warming of the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America

• typically declared when sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise to at least 0.5°C above the long-term average

What does/can El Niño cause?

• significantly affects global patterns of temperature and rainfall

• sends warm surface waters eastwards

• can cause devastating floods in some places and prolonged periods of drought in others

• can create favourable conditions for wildfires

• linked to carbon monoxide pollution plumes

What is the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)?

• a cyclical climatic condition/event

• an ocean and atmosphere phenomenon

• affects the climate of countries that surround the Indian Ocean basin

• can be ‘positive’ or ‘negative’

What does a positive Indian Ocean Dipole cause?

• cooler in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean

• warmer in the tropical western Indian Ocean

• decreased rainfall over parts of central and southern Australia

• increased risk of wildfires

What does a negative Indian Ocean Dipole cause?

• warmer in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean

• cooler in the tropical western Indian Ocean

What are the four strategies for managing wildfires?

• preparedness

• mitigation

• prevention

• adaptation

preparedness

early detection and suppression of wildfires

mitigation

reducing the impact of the event before, during, and after it

prevention

actions aimed at reducing the chance of large-scale events from starting

adaptation

learning to live with the threat of wildfires and letting them take their course/burn themselves out

What are some examples of preparedness for wildfires?

• voluntary rural firefighting teams

• warnings issued as fire risk increases

• firebreaks around properties

What are some examples of mitigating wildfires?

• early detection by cameras, drones, satellites, and infrared sensors

• black burning ahead of a fire to remove the fuel

• disaster aid

• fire insurance

What are some examples of the prevention of wildfires?

• public awareness

• fire bans during times of high risk

• controlled burning to reduce the fuel store

What are some examples of adaptation to wildfires?

• burning old/diseased wood to stimulate fresh growth 

• regulations to restrict access to areas at risk of wildfires

• simple buildings made of natural products that will not cause pollution if burnt