HOW TO PROTECT AND CONTROL FOREST FIRES
In today's time, incidents
of forest fires are becoming common. Fire not only destroys trees, but it also
has a terrible effect on the entire ecosystem. Fires limit the regeneration
capacity of our forests. At the same time, the greenness of forests is a boon
for us. They provide oxygen, shelter, employment, water, nutrition and fuel.
They help protect people and nature from the consequences of a warming world.
Recently, a massive
wildfire broke out in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles
and spiraled out of control, threatening thousands of homes and buildings. It
is being told to be a suspected arson attack. Extreme temperatures, wind, and
lightning strikes have allowed the fire to grow rapidly. The blaze had charred
about 27 sq miles (70 sq km) of grass and chaparral, leaving a thick cloud of
dark smoke blanketing the area.
Referring to the dire
consequences of the terrible forest fires, Professor Piyush Srivastava of the
Center of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management Department of IIT
Roorkee says that the air quality will deteriorate due to the terrible forest
fires. More carbon particles will be found in the air. These will spread far
and wide with the fast-moving wind. They will accumulate on the glaciers. This
increases the possibility of glaciers melting.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE FORESTS FOR US
According to the World
Bank, forests currently cover about 30 percent of the world's land area.
Forests are vital to people's lives, homes, and livelihoods, and play a vital
role in tackling the biodiversity and climate crises. Their vitality infuses
our lives. They also filter pollution and chemicals, improving the quality of
water available for human use.
Forests are the largest
stores of carbon, as they absorb this greenhouse gas from the air and lock it
up above and below ground. They protect against storms and floods by slowing
the flow of water and reducing soil loss. Spending time in forests can have
positive benefits for cardiovascular disease, respiratory concerns, diabetes,
and mental health.
While we all depend on
forests in one way or another, it is estimated that about 350 million people
around the world live within or near forests and are highly dependent on them for their
livelihoods. Even the dead leaves that litter the forest floor have an
important ecological role of replenishing the soil nutrients that plants need
to grow.
SOME OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF FOREST FIRES
Scientists believe that
forest fires are either caused by human error or are being deliberately set. In
95 percent of forest fire cases, human activities have been the main reason.
Someone smoked a bidi and threw it away. Someone burnt leaves or garbage.
Earlier, the fire used to be extinguished due to rain, snowfall, and humidity.
But now the temperature is increasing due to global warming.
But the main causes that
have been identified so far are mentioned below which are responsible for
forest fires:
• Climate change
•
Lightning strikes
•
Excessively dry wood or
vegetation
• Man-made causes,
such as open flame, cigarettes, bidis, electric sparks, or any ignition source
coming into contact with flammable materials
•
Agricultural changes and
uncontrolled land use
•
Deliberate fires set by
local people
•
Carelessly discarded
cigarettes
•
Campfires left unattended
• Burning debris
Apart from the above, some
other reasons have also been found due to which there is a danger of forest
fire:
· Electrical equipment on the Big Rock may cause of forest fire as has already happened in California in 2018.
·
When tree branches come into contact with
power lines.
· Extreme heat can create pyro cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms tat form above intense heat sources.
· Wind can spread a fire rapidly and cause significant air pollution.
El NINO: ANOTHER CAUSE OF FORET FIRES
El Nino has affected our
weather to a great extent. In India, the El Nino effect is mostly negative. Due
to El Nino, the possibility of further increase in temperature escalates. The
risk of heat waves increases. The mercury starts rising.
There is less rainfall than expected during the winter season. As a
result, a small spark has the power to burn down the entire forest. The
situation of the country had become similar in the year 2015-16. Then 4400
hectares of forest in India were affected by fire.
THE HIMALAYAS ON FIRE
The forest fires in the three Indian hill states,
namely Uttarakhand, Himachal, and Jammu and Kashmir have drawn the world's
attention. In India, forest fires occur frequently during March, April, and May
due to the abundant availability of dry biomass.
Among the forest fires in the Nainital
district of Uttarakhand, Nainital, Haldwani, and Ramnagar forest divisions were
the worst. The incidence of forest fires has increased by 1500 percent in
Himachal and 700 percent in Uttarakhand as compared to last year.
The forests of Jammu and Kashmir have
also not remained untouched. Recently, a forest fire broke out in the Rajouri
sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The forests of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are catching fire due to the heat.
This year, from May 1 to May 27,
forest fires broke out in more than 80 thousand places in the country. Forests
of Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh are also
vulnerable to forest fires. Since 2001, trees in an area of 38,100 hectares
have been damaged due to forest fires in India.
According to Prof. Piyush, accidents
like Chamoli and Kedarnath can be repeated in these hilly states. Due to the
fires in summer, the soil and surface of the hills become weak. After this,
when it rains, the soil becomes dangerous. Landslides occur. There is a
possibility of flash floods.
FORESTS FIRE: A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM
Forest fire is a worldwide problem. Due to
global warming and climate change, the increase in temperature and lack of
timely rainfall are causing forest fires in many countries of the world. The
world-famous Amazon forests in Latin America are being destroyed by fire.
Between 2001 and 2023, around 28 percent of
trees around the world were destroyed due to fire. Russia and Canada suffered
the most damage. In 2023, trees spread over 77.7 lakh hectares were destroyed
by fire in Canada alone.
While other countries like Russia, Brazil,
Bolivia, America, and Australia were the most affected. Meanwhile, the year
2023 was the year when the maximum trees were damaged due to fire. A total of
1.19 crore hectares of trees were destroyed that year, which is 42 percent of
the total loss.
The extent of damage that forest fires will
cause in the future is beyond our and governments' imagination. Forests have
suffered the most damage in the last 300 years. Studies have shown that older
trees store more carbon than younger trees, making old forests an important
resource for stabilizing the global climate.
HOW TO DEAL WITH FOREST FIRES
We rely on forests for our very survival as
they help the planet fight back. Forests are nature's shield against natural
disasters. So, protecting the world's forests means protecting the health of
the planet, preserving biodiversity, fighting climate change, and securing
resources for future generations. The destruction of forests hurts agriculture
and can affect the production of the food we eat.
Forests provide habitats for plants and
animals and bring life to the world. Losing forests not only harms the planet
but also creates a whole host of problems. Forests serve as a repository for
the genes of biodiversity. No one should underestimate the significance of
forests.
If some precautions are taken then the
incidence of forest fires can be reduced to a great extent:
Ø Avoid any activities that involve fire or sparks when it is hot, dry,
and windy.
Ø Do not light a campfire when the weather is windy.
Ø Build your campfire in an open area and make sure the campfire is away
from flammable materials.
Ø Make sure your campfire is completely extinguished. Even then, pour at
least one bucket of water to douse the fire. Then stir it and be sure the fire
is completely out.
Ø Make sure your equipment and vehicle are regularly maintained. Vehicles
and equipment that have not been regularly maintained often emit sparks from
their exhaust. Make sure your vehicle has had all mechanical checks and is
suitable for off-road adventures.
Ø Keep a shovel, bucket, and fire extinguisher in your vehicle to put out
fires. Off-highway vehicles should have a spark arrestor.
Ø Make sure you never operate equipment that could produce sparks near dry
vegetation. Also, remove all flammable materials from the area.
Ø There is a danger of forest fires due to the use of firecrackers.
Therefore, use firecrackers as per the rules. By taking a little caution, the
danger of forest fires is eliminated.
Ø Sometimes, it becomes necessary to burn trash, leaves, agricultural
waste, or other materials. In such cases, make sure you have water nearby and
never burn anything if it is windy. Once your burn is complete, be sure to
"clean up" the ashes by watering and stirring them.
Ø Wildfires often start from piles of "leftover" debris that
were not put out days or weeks after the burn.
Ø Report unattended fires to the bodies of forest fire prevention and
control.
HOW TO TRACK WILD FIRE
Fire is a worldwide phenomenon that has
profound impacts on ecosystem functions, climate change, air quality, and human
health and property. Fire activity also varies seasonally and inter-annually.
The occurrence of fires is often triggered by changes in weather conditions,
vegetation types, and ignition sources.
Historically, fire monitoring has relied on
ground-based observations, whether through direct visual assessments from
watchtowers or more organized monitoring efforts by fire management agencies.
However, such efforts have not been successful in providing the reliable and
continuous monitoring needed at continental or global scales.
According to an estimate, more than 36% of
India’s forest area is at risk of frequent fires. “Intense heat” is typically
associated with flaming fronts, meaning areas of the highest fire intensity and
activity. “Scattered heat” is typically used for areas with dispersed pockets
of fire and regions with mixed fuel types. Nowadays, several mapping
methods are used to determine fire size and spread, including the use of GPS by
walking/driving, image interpretation, and infrared flights.
Satellites with infrared sensors are used to
detect forest fires. This process is commonly known as ‘hot spot detection’.
The facility of generative AI is currently available as an experiment. Infrared
data provides some of the most detailed information on fire progression and
perimeters and is widely used by wildfire decision-makers to strategize and
command firefighting resources.
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