What Causes Wildfires? A Look into the Science Behind the Destruction
Wildfires are a highly destructive natural phenomenon. When they burn hot and long, they cause significant damage. When those fires spread quickly because of dry conditions or peaty soil, they’re called torrential wildfires. And when lightning strikes near raging blazes, the result is one of the most spectacular and devastating natural events on Earth. Earth has about hundreds of wildfires per year, but only about a few of them are recognized by scientists as real fires. So what makes these fires so different from normal ones? And how can we predict when and where they will strike?
What Causes Wildfires?
There are many causes of wildfires, but the most significant factor is climate. The climate around a geographic location can vary from totally normal, with no fire hazard at all, to extremely dry conditions, with little or no protection from the elements. When the weather is hot and humid around a location, there is a high risk of wildfires. When the climate is hot, dry, and windy, there is a much greater risk of catastrophic wildfires. In hot, dry climates, the humidity – which is a byproduct of the air temperature – is at a sufficient level to fuel a catastrophic wildfire. If there is no significant rainfall to replenish the evaporative cooling that occurs during the day, then the skin temperature of the terrestrial environment can become extremely high, with dangerous levels of heat generated by the sun.
How Big Are They?
Most wildfires are less than 1km wide, but they can be incredibly dangerous. If the fire starts on the hillside above a river or a lake, it can quickly spread to consume everything in its path. If it starts in a field, the resulting burn pattern will spread the fire quickly and deeply. As the fire burns down hillsides and sucks in air from the surrounding countryside, it can grow in size and intensity. Once the fire has grown to at least 10km in width, it is considered a “torrential” wildfire.
What Stages of the Fireball Can Be Found?
Like most fires, the patterns of fire and fuels can be used to predict when and where a wildfire might occur. However, the colors and patterns indicate a lot about the fire’s behavior. If the fire is red, it’s burning irregularly and fast. If it’s orange, it’s burning at a decent rate but may be scattered in spots. If it’s yellow or green, it’s burning at a controlled rate and is therefore classified as staged. Staged fires spread more slowly because they don’t burn as hot and fast as raging, un-staged wildfires.
The Different Types of Wildfire
There are four types of fire: explosive, explosive-overquench, flood, and controlled. Explosive fires burn at high intensity for a short duration. They often occur in unconsolidated and fluid soils. Explosive fires often have a lightning-caused component. Overquench fires burn at an extreme temperature for a period of time, usually in saturated soils. Flood fires burn at extremely high temperatures, often associated with flash flooding. Controlled fires are the most common type of wildfire. These fires burn at a low intensity, often in slow-moving soils.
What’s the Connection Between Climate Change and Fires?
Wildfires are a natural part of Earth’s ecosystems. They regulate the amount of vegetation and fuels in areas that have been burned by different human activities and help to clear the land of harmful materials and increase the amount of naturally-produced vegetation. However, climate change is expected to produce an increase in both the frequency and size of wildfires. Increased temperatures and moisture from climate change may also lead to increased frequency and intensity of dry cold season and a possible increase in the incidence of forest fires.