At burnedare natural phenomena that can arise in dry areas, of arid and semiarid climate, which contain vegetation. With the help of wind and low humidity, sparks can appear naturally, causing fires that, in some cases, can reach enormous proportions. There are also anthropogenic fires, very common in rural areas for clearing the pasture or preparing the soil for the next harvest.
Read too: Anthropogenic actions in the environment: what are the consequences?
Types of fires and their causes
When dealing with fires, we can distinguish two types: natural and artificial (anthropogenic). The former can happen through other natural events, such as lightning strike or very dry weather with high temperatures and low humidity. In regions like the thick in Brazil, outbreaks of natural fires can be easily identified in periods of drought, during the Winter, from June to September.
Artificial fires, on the other hand, are those in which the
human being sets fire to some area to eliminate possible debris or organic matter. It is an old practice, but it causes serious damage to the soil and air quality. Generally, this type of burning is justified by clearing a land for a new planting, pasture, the opening of large areas, roads and also the logging.When there are fires caused by humans, the risk is enormous, because if the wind changes direction, sparks are taken to other areas, and another fire may start that may be out of control. Furthermore, the smoke harms the air quality in areas where fires occur and in distant areas, as it is transported by the action of air currents. Even though there are techniques, the act of setting fire to land is extremely dangerous, both for humans and for the environment.
Burns in Brazil
In Brazil there is a large amount of fires of the two types already mentioned, mainly in the biomes Amazon and Cerrado, with the expansion of agricultural frontier, which began in the 1970s, and illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
Therefore, a clear disregard for the preservation of the environment, as there is greater concern with economic production, the agribusiness and the large timber companies than with the ecological and sustainable use of biomes.
It is estimated, according to MapBiomas, that the Amazon has already lost to deforestation and fires, from 1985 to 2018, more than 720,000 km² of vegetation cover, something equivalent to the entire Chilean territory.
Control of fires in Brazil
O National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) it is the government agency responsible for measuring and analyzing fire outbreaks across the country.
According to the institute:
in 2007 there were more than 340,000 outbreaks across the country, being the year with the highest number of outbreaks since measurement began, in 1998;
in 2020, more than 198 thousand outbreaks were registered until the month of October, the highest number since 2010, when 282,389 fire outbreaks were registered.
This measurement is based on satellite images, being updated every two days, and based on data sent to robotic centers, with minimal human interference, so there are no changes and/or manipulation of numbers.
See too: Greenhouse effect: causes and consequences
burned around the world
In the world, areas such as the state of California, U.S, and the Australia are constantly affected by forest fires which, in most cases, get out of control and cause the death of inhabitants.
At North America, especially on the west coast of the United States, where California is located, forest fires are common in the summer, between June and September, a period when temperatures are quite high, air humidity is low and there are strong winds, as it is a coastal area.
Most of these forest fires are caused by human actions, such as a poorly extinguished campfire, the cleaning a land or burning garbage in homes close to forests, situations that are very common in this region of USA.
In 2018 sparks from an electrical network caused the biggest fire in the region, killing 85 people and destroying areas of three California cities: Magalia, Paradise and Concow. The fire left a trail of 62,053 burned hectares.
In the year 2020, according to Stanford University, at least 1200 people over 65 died as a result of the smoke generated by the fires, a number far above official statistics. They reported that 23 people had died in direct occurrence of the consequences of forest fires.
In Australia, fires are frequent at the end of the year, between November and December, in coastal areas of the country, mainly on the east coast. In the last record of January 2020, it is estimated that 15 people have died due to fires, which also affect forest areas in the country.
There, the combination is similar to what happens in California: high temperatures (which can exceed 40 ºC), low air humidity, strong winds and dry vegetation.
The two locations suffer from a common evil: the climate changes. Each year, forest fires in these areas have been bigger and more catastrophic, as the dry period is longer, as well as temperatures during the summer. Because of this, any type of fire can be dangerous, as the action of wind, associated with dry vegetation, causes a small spark to turn into a terrifying and deadly event.
Problems caused by fires and their consequences
Fires, when natural, can bring some benefits to soils and biomes used to these events, such as the Brazilian Cerrado. there may be the renewal of organic matter and the potential for fertility to increase with ash, in addition to the collapse of the weeds, but this is not proven by scientists.
When fires are caused artificially, many dangers can arise both for the biome and for those who initiate them. They can spiral out of control, depending on weather conditions, and reach areas that were out of reach of the initial focus.
THE smoke harms the entire fauna of the locality, forcing animals to go to habitats other than those of origin. There is also pollution caused on roads and highways, harming traffic and potentially causing serious accidents, in addition to the nuisance generated for people, causing serious breathing problems.
In general, the harm caused by fires is many, such as:
loss of soil moisture;
accent of erosions and other processes that degrade the soil;
increase of carbon dioxide In the atmosphere;
pollution of rivers and their sources through ashes, transported to the riverbed in the first rains;
habitat destruction.
In addition to these, there are several other similar situations, such as the pollution of aquifers, lakes and dams.
Also access: What are the forms of soil degradation?
Possible solutions for fires
The great solution for the burnings would be the interruption of this practice by the population, but we know that this is impossible, since such action is historical and follows human beings since their beginnings.
Thus, as a large part of the burning is caused by human actions, the solutions to this problem also involve awareness and change in society's habits.
Avoiding throwing cigarette butts in areas of dry vegetation is already an advance, in addition to contributing to the cleaning of environments. Do not set fire to garbage, even in homes or open areas, as a spark can be carried by the wind and reach distant areas, starting another fire focus.
For cleaning huge areas, the ideal is to weed the weeds, and not promote fire as a cleaning agent.
The best solutions for fires are prevention. However, if you find outbreaks of fire and burning, call the competent authorities, such as the Fire Department by phone 193 and the Military Police by phone 190. If the fire is in a hilly area and there are victims, also contact the Civil Defense by phone 199. Such authorities are trained to handle these extreme situations.
By Attila Matthias
Geography teacher
