Wildfire
A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire in an
area of combustible vegetation that occurs in countryside area. It also has
other names, such as brush fire, bush fire, forest fire, desert fire, grass
fire, hill fire, peat fire, vegetation fire, and veldfire. These names may be
used to describe the same phenomenon relying on the type of vegetation which
are being burned, and the regional variant of English being used. The standards
of distinguishing wildfire from other fires include its extensive size, the
speed at which it can spread out from its original source, its potential to
change direction unexpectedly, and also its ability to jump gaps such as roads,
rivers and fire breaks. Wildfires are characterized in terms of the cause of
ignition, their physical properties such as speed of propagation, the
combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire.
Forest fire are a common occurrence in
Australia due to the generally hot and dry climate, they pose a great risk to
life and infrastructure during all times of the year, though mostly throughout
the hotter months of summer and spring. Fossil records and human history
contain accounts of wildfires, because wildfires can occur in periodic
intervals.
Wildfires can cause extensive damage, both
to human life and property, but they also have various beneficial effects on
wilderness areas. Some plant species depend on the effects of fire for growth
and reproduction, although large wildfires may also have negative ecological
effects.
Strategies
of wildfire prevention, detection, and suppression have changed and varied over
the years, and further development of technology and research are encouraged by
international wildfire management experts. One of the more controversial
techniques is controlled burning: permitting or even igniting smaller fires to
minimize the amount of flammable material available for a potential wildfire. While
some wildfires burn in remote forested regions, they can cause extensive
destruction of homes and other property located in the wildland-urban interface:
a zone of transition between developed areas and undeveloped wilderness.
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