biologia: Wildfire

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

A wildfire, forest fire, brushfire or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Some natural forest ecosystems depend on wildfire. Modern forest management often engages in prescribed burns to mitigate fire risk and promote natural forest cycles. Controlled burns can turn into wildfires if they escape containment lines. Wildfires can be classified by cause of ignition, physical properties, combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire. Wildfire severity results from a combination of factors such as available fuels, physical setting, and weather. Climatic cycles with wet periods that create substantial fuels, followed by drou…

Evidence: — • authority: 80

Controlled burns reduce wildfire risk, but they require trained staff and funding − this could be a rough year

Evidence: — • authority: 72

A controlled burn (or prescribed burn) is the practice of intentionally setting a fire to remove buildup of vegetation and decaying organic material in a landscape. It is used for a variety of purposes, such as forest management, ecological restoration, land clearing or wildfire fuel management. Controlled burning can also be referred to as hazard reduction burning,backfire, swailing or a burn-off. Controlled burns are usually performed during cooler months to decrease the risk of more dangerous fires by removing build up of fuel. They play a role in ecology, such as stimulating the germination of some trees and revealing soil mineral layers to increase seedling vitality. In grassland, cont…