1. Forest Fires

2. What is a forest Fire? There are three different classes forest Fires: A surface fire is the most common type and burns along the floor of a forest, moving slowly and killing or damaging trees. A ground fire is usually started by lightning and burns on or below the forest floor Crown fires spread rapidly by wind and move quickly by jumping along the tops of trees. Wild forest fires usually have a characteristic of dense smoke which travels miles.

3. Causes of Forest Fires Forest Fires are the consequence of five possible scenarios: 1. Natural fires such as by lightening. 2. Accidental Fires, caused by sparks from the wheels of a train 3. Negligence by cigarette stubs or matches. 4. Arson in connection with profit seeking. 5. Suitable climate, dry climate and high temperatures.

4. Causes of Forest Fires in… In western Canada over 50% of all Forest Fires are caused by lightening. Spain experiences Fires, its dry climate and high temperatures make it perceptible to natural fires, however it is estimated that 95% of all fires stem from human activity such as mishandling cigarettes, campfires and unsatisfactory monitoring of blazes and arson. In Italy many fires are started by human activity and through the not enough attention from the government or councils to monitor the fires and their causes.

5. 300 people died as a result of aircraft and shipping accidents Where do Forest Fires occur? In1997 the El Nino drought conditions in Western Pacific in South Ease Asia brought rapid fires, resulting in 20 million in the SE region suffering from respiratory problems due to the dense smoke. South East Asia The amount of carbon released due to the fires added as much carbon as all the coal, oil and gas burned that year in western Europe. It occurred due to large deforestation which left large open canopy's open, allowing the forest to dry more effectively. Government policies included extending oil plantations converting it to rice fields, allowing for open areas that could be easily burned, spreading the fire

6. Where do Forest Fires occurs? Spain Spain Galicia Galicia in Spain experiences intense forest fires. Its high tourism numbers make the areas vulnerable to forest fires due to visitors not taking enough care when putting out fires, candles and barbecues, throwing lighted cigarette butts on the forest floor etc or just starting fires for the hell of it. Authorities claim that no less than 90 percent of all fires have been started deliberately by arsonists. In August 2005, 13,368 hectares of land was destroyed by fires in the region. By the end of the year 20,000 hectares of land will have been destroyed. The forest fires are also aided by the intense summer temperatures and the heat wave that Spain was experiencing over the summer months, with temperatures usually in the high thirties to forties. July 19, 2005 a fire was started by a barbeque that got out of control in the hot, windy and dry conditions. It resulted in the deaths of 11 fire-fighters.

7. The Impacts of forest fires LEDC Case Study- Indonesian forest fires due to the El Nino drought. The haze from the 1997 Indonesian forest fires have cost the people of South East Asia an estimated US$1.3 billion according to a report by WWF-Indonesia and the EEPSEA The haze cost Malaysia US$300 million, Indonesia US$90 million and Singapore over US$60 million, mainly due to a drop in tourism revenue and industrial production Economic Impacts. In the Malaysian capitol, Putrajaya its port the Port Klang, which is the country's biggest and busiest harbour, was shut down because of the high air pollution.

8. The Impacts of Forest Fires Environmental Impacts Brush fires in Indonesia destroyed some 10 million hectares (25 million acres) of vegetation, cloaking much of Southeast Asia with haze. The fires damaged more than 9.7 million ha of forest area. The smoke and transboundary haze from these fires affected not only Indonesia but also other Southeast Asian countries, in particular Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore Forest eco-systems have been destroyed and some species may face extinction as a result of the fires. Orangutans are under severe pressure in Central and East Kalimantan which is already under threat due to hunting. Fires destroy the forest itself. Thuis proscess can be good for the life cycle of the forest however the vast destruction due to fires was very high.

9. Impacts of Forest Fires This picture shows the haze produced by the Forest fires in Malaysia. The haze caused stoked choking, that causes eyes to redden and leaves throats raspy.

10. The Impacts of Forest Fires Social Impacts on Indonesia The fires threatened public health by causing eyes to redden and left inhabitants throats ‘raspy’. The haze also disrupted traffic by reducing visibility, this contributes to increased car accidents. The smoke effected the health of thousands of people. The air pollution index in Malaysia’s capitol Putrajaya, reached 500, this being the emergency level. Due to this high number the social impacts were huge: Daily life was disrupted as all educational institutions and government and private workplaces were closed, including factories, construction sites and quarries. Road work was suspended and the use of personal cars and trucks was discouraged.. Social impacts occurred with effects it had on the agriculture and forestry sectors, the 1997-98 drought and fires also significantly affected other sectors such as transportation, tourism and public health. Due to the the rainfall anomalies during the wet season 1997-98 it caused a decrease in area under rice cultivation by 380,000 ha caused by the El Nino weather pattern. Due to this farmers had a decreased yield and had to change their crop to maize

11. The Impacts of Forest Fires MEDC Case study MEDC Case study-Spain Social Effects The social impacts are long term as the include building temporary shelters as well as repairing transport infrastructure and public utilities and services. work has to be done to allow people effected to return to normal work, the creation of new jobs, the offering of credit and financial resources,and the initiation of projects to address the immediate consequences of the disaster are among the rehabilitation measures needed to assist the population and communities affected. Every year 20,000 forest fires take place in Spain During the 2000 fire season, six people died in the fire-fighting operations. Of these, three were fire fighters, two were farmers and one was a pilot

12. The Impacts of Forest Fires Environmental Impacts Forest fires aggravate soil erosion as it causes the ground to become exposed. In Spain the cost of the direct impact of erosion on the environment has been estimated at 280 million ECU per year, The initial impact of forest fires is the vast loss of the forest life, including trees and wildlife.

13. The Impacts of Forest Fires The economic impacts

14. Peoples Perception’s of Forest Fires Peoples perceptions of forest do vary between LEDC’ s and MEDC’s. many people remove any sense of responsibility on the ignition of a fire as people are careless with cigarettes etc. Forest Fires are seen by many as a natural cycle in nature and therefore cannot be prevented. As it is true that in many cases the forest thrives and develops after a fire. In the different countries that fires occur the perceptions many are uneducated in the causes, a fact which if developed would possibly reduce many fires, particularly in MEDC’s

15. Peoples Perception’s of Forest Fires The amount of aid and finance dedicated to the reduction of forest fires does vary between MEDC’s and LEDC’ s. in America $52 million is dedicated for clearing hazardous brush and other projects. This reduces the effect and allows people to realise the possible impact fires could have if the state didn’t intervene. Perceptions of fires may change after a person has been directly affected by them for example being evacuated.

16. Management Better awareness of the causes of forest fires would reduce the number of accidental fires due to such things as cigarettes. This could be done by the publishing fliers posters, which could be given to tourists and users of the forests. Increasing the monitoring of arson attacks and punishing those who are responsible may deter others. Specific management strategies within the forest itself, such as tree gaps where if a fire occurs if will be stopped Safe burning of fires Use of forest fire protection legislation