A forest fire raging in the USA © U

A forest fire raging in the USA © US Department of Agriculture
Wild fires today affect warm, forested regions of the world on several continents, but they once took place in Britain too.

FAQsForest fires in KentMeteorite fires
What is a wild fire?
A wild fire, bush fire or forest fire is an uncontrolled fire in a wild habitat.

When a heat wave or drought dries out the plants in an area, a fire can start and spread quickly. Fires can be accidental or they can be caused by arson or even lightning strikes.

Because fires can be very destructive, fire-fighters have developed lots of strategies for extinguishing or controlling wild fire. However, fire can also play an important role in the life cycle of plants and habitats.

Where do wild fires take place?
Wild fires take place all over the world. Major fires happen every few years in the forests of the United States and Indonesia, and in the bush in Australia.

When do they happen?
Forest fires happen mainly in the summer and autumn. They are particularly destructive when there is a drought because branches and twigs die and dry out, creating plenty of fuel for the fire.

How do forest fires spread so quickly?
Wind is a major factor. Some fires spread along the dead leaves and branches at the bottom of trees. Some fires spread when the leafy canopy catches fire. Also, burning leaves and branches can get blown ahead of the main fire causing smaller fires to start.

How can you control a fire?
Planes and helicopters drop water and chemical fire retardant. Fire-fighters create a control line – an area where they remove all the fuel so that the fire can’t travel across it. This can be a barrier like a river or road. They then cut down dead trees to stop them falling across the fire line. Drip torches are used to burn the plants between the control line and the fire to remove the fuel.

Cross-section of the trunk of a giant sequoia tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum
Cross-section of the trunk of a giant sequoia tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum
Can fires have positive effects?
In the United States they used to have a policy of putting out all forest fires. However, in the 1960s they realised that there were no new giant sequoia trees growing. They grow in the Western USA and have a larger diameter than any other tree species in the world.

Forest fires are a crucial part of their lifecycle. Fires take warm air up into the tops of the trees, which dries the cones and makes them split, allowing the seeds to pop out.

Fire also clears the undergrowth allowing the seeds to germinate. To allow these processes to continue, the authorities started creating controlled fires and allowing natural fires to burn.

Kết quả (Anh) 2:

A raging forest fire in the USA © US Department of Agriculture
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