How can wildfires be good

Naturally occurring wildfires can spark during dry weather and droughts. In these conditions, normally green vegetation can convert into bone-dry, flammable fuel; strong winds spread fire quickly; and warm temperatures encourage combustion. With these ingredients, the only thing missing is a spark—in the form of lightning , arson, a downed power line, or a burning campfire or cigarette—to wreak havoc.

Natural or man-made, three conditions must be present for a wildfire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Firefighters call these three elements the fire triangle. Fuel is any flammable material surrounding a fire, including trees, grasses, brush, even homes. The greater an area's fuel load, the more intense the fire is likely to be. The most wildfire-prone state is California, which lost , acres of land to 8, wildfires in Air supplies the oxygen a fire needs to burn.

California wildfires are often made worse by the hot, dry Santa Ana winds , which can carry a spark for miles. Heat sources help spark the wildfire and bring fuel to temperatures hot enough to ignite. Lightning, burning campfires or cigarettes, and even the sun can all provide sufficient heat to spark a wildfire.

Violent infernos are most common in the western states, where heat, drought, and frequent thunderstorms create ripe conditions. Wildfires also occur around the world and in most of the 50 states. Firefighters battle blazes by depriving them of one or more of the fire triangle fundamentals.

One traditional method is to douse existing fires with water and spray fire retardants. Firefighters also sometimes work in teams, often called hotshots , to clear vegetation from the land around a fire to contain and eventually starve it of fuel. The resulting tracts of land are called firebreaks. Firefighters may also employ controlled burning, creating backfires , to stop a wildfire. This method involves fighting fire with fire. These prescribed—and controlled—fires remove undergrowth, brush, and litter from a forest, depriving an otherwise raging wildfire of fuel.

Although they can be dangerous to humans, naturally occurring wildfires play an integral role in nature.

By burning dead or decaying matter, they can return otherwise trapped nutrients to the soil. They also act as a disinfectant, removing disease-ridden plants and harmful insects from an ecosystem. Wildfires thin forest canopies and undergrowth, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor and a new generation of seedlings to grow.

Another benefit of wildfire is the clearing of overgrown underbrush to make room for new grasses, herbs and regenerated shrubs that provide food and habitat for many wildlife species. Also, the removal of thick stands of shrubs increases the water supply for the remaining larger plants and trees—and also allows streams and rivers to swell, further benefiting ever-thirsty native flora and fauna.

Yet another benefit of fire is that it kills off fungi, bacteria, viruses and insects that can decimate tree and plant communities and entire forest ecosystems. CalFire points out that vegetation burned by wildfire provides a rich source of nutrients that nourish surviving trees and soil. And periodic fire can be an important way to keep certain ecosystems in balance. Many trees have evolved with fire and some even require it for seed germination; a few species even sport leaves covered with flammable resins manzanita, scrub oak, chamise to encourage fires that help seed the next generation.

Find out about the insects that affect forests in Canada. Diseases contribute to the forest ecosystem by speeding up the mortality of weak and over-mature trees, clearing the way for forest renewal and increasing biodiversity.

Diseases also break down dead plant material, a process that recycles nutrients and organic matter. Root diseases are among the most common in boreal forests. Read about the ways diseases impact Canadian forests. Although natural disturbances generally benefit the long-term health of Canadian forests, they can sometimes have public safety and environmental consequences.

Canada closely monitors disturbances in its forests and reports publicly on their effects. The annual State of the Forest report includes the latest information on key disturbances such as fire, insects and disease. Their reports are used to inform forest management planning , forest laws and forestry practices.

For example, scientific research has helped evolve modern harvesting techniques to more closely mimic the effects of natural disturbance on the forest. Natural disturbance should not be confused with deforestation. A forest that will grow back is still a forest.