The Answer in the Flames

Around 7 weeks ago, on the 7th of April, the American state of New Mexico began to face a burning hot crisis. Even today, firefighters are still going toe to toe with the New Mexico wildfire that has burnt 1274 square kilometres of land. The firefighting costs have gone beyond $132 million, with the costs rising by $5 million daily according to local authorities. With the financial and environmental costs that wildfires pose to countries, along with the potentially adverse effects they have on the environment, it’s shocking to see that wildfires aren’t more of a hot topic than they actually are. Let’s take a look at what causes these natural disasters to occur, as well as how they affect the environment aside from burning a hole in it.

Wildfires often decimate wildlife populations.

Wildfires are often caused due to unforeseen natural reasons. These reasons include volcanic eruptions and droughts since low air and soil moisture allows fires to spread quickly. Among all reasons however, the number one natural cause for wildfires is lightning….shocking I know. However, naturally caused wildfires only make up 10 to 15 percent of all wildfires that occur worldwide, which makes the reality far more terrible, as the remaining 90 to 85 percent are caused by human activity.

Many of these fires caused by human activity, such as the New Mexico fire, are caused through negligence or accidents. The New Mexico fire that happened recently is an example of this. The US Forest Service ordered a forested area of 1200 acres to be burnt on April 6th. The attempt at a controlled burn however soon spiraled out of control as the fire began to burn beyond the prescribed area due to ‘erratic winds’, according to National Forest rangers. The fire then merged with another fire that originated in Calf canyon, a canyon in New Mexico, which turned it into one of the largest fires in New Mexico’s history. At times, human negligence through the discarding flaming objects such as cigarette butts or even fireworks, has been the cause of wildfires, with arson not being too uncommon either. Arson was the cause of the Cranston fire in the US back in July 2018, with the Holy Jim Canyon fire occurring a month later for the same reasons. Regardless of the causes though, the effect on the environment remains unchanged.

The raging New Mexico fire was started by the US Forest service as part of a necessary steady burn that soon became uncontrollable.

Aside from more obvious effects such as air pollution caused by the smoke, wildfires actually affect the quality of nearby waterbodies such as rivers and lakes. Since wildfires burn off most of the trees and vegetation in the area, the soil becomes unable to absorb and retain water since there’s fewer root systems present to do so. This causes a phenomenon known as stormwater runoff, in which rainwater flows over the ground’s surface and collects sediment or debris. The debris from the wildfire would be collected in the water runoff then transported to nearby water bodies, causing water pollution and harming local ecosystems. The inability of soil to retain water would also increase the risk of flash-floods in the area, which would not only cause damage and endanger human lives, but would also introduce harmful chemicals and pollutants to city waterways, which could harm human health.

This grim picture depicts the horrifying effects of forest fires.

Although it’s unfortunate that most wildfires are caused by human activity, it also means that we are the solution. In order to at least reduce the risk of wildfires occurring, we need to take measures to prevent the spread of fires altogether. The first step is making sure that open flames are not lit near flammable objects such as wood or paint. If lit in a wooded area or nearby any wooden objects, it’s important to not leave fires unattended and to put them out after use. If a fire starts to get out of hand, it’s also crucial to call the local fire department immediately to prevent the fire from spreading any further. At the end of the day, the planet would become a safer and less polluted place if we change. If we become more mindful of our surroundings and more considerate, not only would the risk of wildfires decrease, but the world in general would become a much better, cleaner and safer place.

By Rishabh Bandopadhaya