About Forest fires

About Forest fires

 

Definition

• Forest fire may be defined as an unclosed and freely spreading combustion that consumes the natural fuels and when a fire burns out of control it is known as Wild Fire.

 

Vulnerability of India

• The youngest mountain ranges of Himalayas are the most vulnerable stretches of the world susceptible to forest fires.
• The forests of Western Himalayas are more frequently vulnerable to forest fires as compared to those in Eastern Himalayas.
• The reason is that the forests of Eastern Himalayas grow in high rain density.

 

Causes of forest fire

• Environmental causes
  • Largely related to climatic conditions such as temperature, wind speed and direction, level of moisture in soil and atmosphere and duration of dry spells.
  • Friction of bamboos swaying due to high wind velocity.
  • Rolling stones that result in sparks setting off fires in highly inflammable leaf litter on the forest floor.
• Anthropogenic causes
  • Graziers and gatherers of various forest products starting small fires to obtain good grazing grass as well as to facilitate gathering of minor forest produce.
  • Shifting cultivation (especially in the North-Eastern region of India and inparts of the States of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh).
  • The use of fires by villagers to ward off wild animals.
  • Fire lit for Recreation purpose.
  • Fires caused by carelessness of visitors to forests who discard cigarette butts, etc.

 

 

Effects of forest fire

• Loss of valuable timber resources.
• Degradation of catchment areas.
• Loss of biodiversity and extinction of plants and animals.
• Loss of wildlife habitat and depletion of wildlife.
• Loss of natural regeneration and reduction in forest cover.
• Global warming.
• Loss of carbon sinks resource and increase in percentage of co2 in atmosphere.
• Change in the microclimate of the area with unhealthy living conditions.
• Soil erosion affecting productivity of soils and production.
• Ozone layer depletion.
• Health problems leading to diseases.
• Loss of livelihood for tribal people and the rural poor, as many of them are directly dependent upon collection of non-timber forest products from forest areas for their livelihood.

 

 

Management of forest fires

• Precautionary measures:
  • Keep the source of fire or source of ignition separated from combustible and inflammable material.
  • Keep the source of fire under watch and control.
  • Not allow combustible or inflammable material to pile up unnecessarily.
  • To adopt safe practices in areas near forests viz. factories, coalmines, oil stores, chemical plants and even in household kitchens.
• Prevention measures:Prevention of human-caused fires through education and environmental modification:
  • It includes silviculture activities
  • Engineering works
  • People participation and their education
• Detection measures:
  • Prompt detection of fires through a well-coordinated network of observation points, efficient ground patrolling, and communication networks.
  • Remote sensing technology be given due importance in fire detection.
  • A National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) and Fire Forecasting System needs to be developed.
• Mitigation measures:
  • Fast initial attack measures.
  • Vigorous follow up action.
  • Introducing a forest fuel modification system at strategic points.