Paula Mawston

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• By
• Paula Mawston
• Laura Chambers

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Causes
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Causes

• Natural events lightening strikes, drought,
  anticyclones
• Human actions camp fires, BBQs, arson, smoking,
  negligence, agriculture
• 90 of forest fires are human caused -
  www.smokeybear.com

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The Three Types of Forest Fires
These layers are shown on the next slide...
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The following diagram shows the layers of a
forest. Ground fires burn through the humus
layer, surface fires burn through the surface
layer and crown fires burn the canopy.
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Where Do They Happen?

• Forest fire can occur anywhere in the world due
  to their numerous causes, these include
• Fires caused by drought - such as the fires in
  Portugal in August 2003
• Fires caused human negligence - such as the
  fires in America in 2001
• High temperatures and winds caused fires in
  Melbourne, Australia in January 2003

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LEDC Case Study1997-98 East KalimantanIndonesia
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• Forest fires effected more than 5.2 million ha in
  the East Kalimantan area. These fires had a
  number of causes
• A prolonged drought caused by the El Nino effect
• Slash and burn farmers after a prolonged period
  of drought.
• Land clearing activities by oil companies, the
  company entered local forest gardens and burned
  the vegetation, some of which entered other
  forest gardens and the forest itself.
• Arson by financial companies and locals who
  wanted the compensation money.
• Incidental fires caused by discarded cigarette
  butts on dry ground
• At least one of the fires was caused by locals
  who burnt an illegal external loggers storage area

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• These fires caused problems for the locals
  including
• Loss of land (forest gardens)
• Material losses such as rubber trees, crops and
  forest extract resources.
• Health problems such as respiratory problems and
  malnutrition due to the loss of crops.
• Emotional problems due to the stress brought on
  by fires
• The infrastructure was severely damaged.
• The fires were eventually extinguished by
  prolonged rain in November.
• As a result of these events local people and
  government bodies have stopped the illegal
  operations of the Palm oil company and the
  loggers.

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MEDC Case StudyJanuary 2003Australia
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Areas At Risk In Australia
The following map displays the parts of Australia
which are at particular risk from drought and
high temperatures, resultantly they are high fire
risk areas.
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• Every year Australia suffers forest fires. This
  year uncontrollable fires raged through suburban
  streets in south eastern states, with flames
  reaching 100m. New South Wales and Victoria were
  particularly affected. The fires were caused by
• Arson by a volunteer fire fighter, who started 12
  fires in 6 weeks.
• The ground was dry due to El-Nino aggravated
  drought.
• The event was worsened by Australia's native
  plant - the eucalyptus - having a high oil
  content, making it highly flammable.
• The fires were also fanned further by the 40mph
  winds.

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• The fire caused many problems for the locals
  including
• 4 people in Canberra were left dead and 530 homes
  went up in flames.
• In the mountain villages of Cobungra 6 homes were
  lost.
• Towns such as Thredbo ski resort had to be
  evacuated.
• In Cooma and Jindbyne 1000 people had to be
  evacuated.
• Large amounts of damage were caused to the
  vegetation in the area.
• 260 000 hectares of Victoria National park were
  burnt down.
• 80 fires burned in the New South Wales area, some
  of which border Australia's largest city, Sydney.
  

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• The Australian government was helped by the
  weather in slowing the fires, but other fire
  fighting techniques were used
• Light rain and cool temperatures slowed some
  fires.
• Back burning was used.
• In the past Australia has had a number of
  problems involving fires
• In February 1983, 70 people were killed and 2000
  homes were lost in South Australia and Victoria.

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El Nino

• El Nino is a change in water temperature in the
  South Pacific Ocean, which occurs about every 3
  to 7 years.
• In normal conditions, winds blow east to west. In
  times of El Nino the winds slow down, stop, and
  even some times reverse direction.
• This causes the water temperature to warm in the
  east rather than the west.
• When the temperature of the water increases it
  heats the air above it.
• The heated air rises, producing clouds that
  provide rain to the area around it, normally
  Indonesia, in the western Pacific.
• In El Nino water is warmed in the eastern Pacific
  on the shores of Peru and Ecuador

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(No Transcript)
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• El Nino was discovered by local fishermen who
  noticed that changing temperatures killed their
  fish stock every 3 to 7 years, around Christmas
  time.
• El Nino means the Christ child or baby boy.
• El Nino causes
• Drought conditions in Australia
• Excessive rain and flooding in South America
• Death of fish due to change in water temperatures

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Prediction
To predict this hazard experts try to foresee
which areas are likely to be at threat from fire
at certain times. In countries like the USA Fire
Danger Forecasts' are made daily. A Wildland Fire
Assessment System (WFAS) and the National Fire
Danger Rating System (NFDRS) have also been set
up. Forest fires are taken very seriously in
America. A daily situation summary report is
distributed to the media so that the general
public can be made aware of the danger and number
of fires in nearby areas.
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Management
Following the 2000 forest fires the American
government planned the following precautions 1)
Continue to make all necessary fire-fighting
resources available. 2) Restore landscapes and
rebuild communities, some communities already
have suffered considerable economic losses as a
result of fires, these losses will grow unless
immediate action is taken to reduce further
damage to resources. 3) Work directly with
communities and invest in projects to reduce fire
risk. 4) To be accountable.
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Stopping Forest Fires
In order to put out a fire the following must be
done Heat must be COOLED Oxygen must be
SMOTHERED Fuel must be REMOVED
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Prevention

• A number of tactics can be employed to help
  prevent forest fires, these include
• Increased fire fighter numbers in at risk areas
• Media campaigns to warn against smoking, dropping
  matches or starting any form of fire in forest
  areas, particularly during dry months.
• Teaching in schools of the dangers
• Steep punishments for those starting fires in
  areas that are at risk of forest fires.
• Back burning, this is when small areas of land
  are burned under controlled conditions so that
  the fire cannot move any further.

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• Fires can be stopped spreading without human
  intervention, this includes what is known as a
  fire break. A firebreak could be a stream or
  road, or anything that the fire could not engulf.
• Helicopters can be fitted with sprinklers to try
  and extinguish fires.

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Public Perceptions

• Counter-urbanisation in countries such as
  Australia and the USA means an invasion of
  natural bushland. People moving to these
  communities have little real appreciation of
  forest fires.
• More than 900 homes are destroyed by forest fires
  every year, yet flammable materials are still
  used in building (e.g. Melbourne 1980s).
• Vegetation may be kept near homes
• There may be inadequate fire fighting equipment.
• This is an example of the unawareness that
  exists, even among people at the highest risk.

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• Forest fires can be predicted well and there are
  many different ways of fighting and preventing
  them, this means many people believe that it is
  not a threat.
• People living near danger zones are well educated
  and so know what the fires can do. They find
  comfort and safety in this, as well as confidence
  that fires will be predicted though his may not
  always be the case.