Wildfires

Question 1

Wildfire definition

Answer 1

Uncontrolled vegetation fire

Question 2

Occurrence

Answer 2

4,000 mill p.a

Natural part of Earth’s environment

Dry periods ( gauss bushes )

Question 3

Main Ignition and how frequent

Answer 3

Lighting

(10,000) strikes per day

Question 4

Less common ignitions

Answer 4

Rockfall ( hard rocks –granite) sparks

Volcanic eruptions

Question 5

Alternative but primary cause

Answer 5

Human activity

Question 6

What amount of landmass is affected anually and globally

Answer 6

3-4 mill km2

Question 7

How much affected area is vegetation

Answer 7

3%

Question 8

How many fires occur in the UK and main source of ignition

Answer 8

1,000s vegetative fires every year

Majority of fires were due to arson

Question 9

South Wales occurences and location

Answer 9

greatest frequency of arson, 8x the UK average

grassland/farmland

Question 10

Exceptions

Answer 10

Saddleworth Moor fire

Heather

2018

Question 11

What was the Saddleworth Moor fires

Question 11

How much land do humans burn

Answer 11

> 1 mill square km2 of forest and grassland

Question 11

What are the types of wildfires

Answer 11

Type - Surface and Crown

Question 12

Intensity

Answer 12

energy released per kw

Question 13

What are the classification categories for Australia

Answer 13

Intensity and severity rating
Energy intensity
Flame height
Vegetation severity

Question 14

What is the severity classification

Answer 14

unburnt
low
moderate
high
very high
extreme

Question 15

What do fire severity maps based on

Answer 15

satellite and ground data

Question 16

Direct impacts during a fire

Answer 16

Long –term health conditions developed

Damage /disruption through gases/smoke

Suffocation – CO2 poisoning, lung tissue damage

Traffic hazard

Question 17

What are the post fire impacts

Answer 17

flooding and erosion

Question 18

What is soil water repellency?

Answer 18

Water repellency increases during a wildfire event

Question 19

What are the Negative broader ecological impacts

Answer 19

Emission of toxins and greenhouse gases

Question 20

How much CO2 emmisions do fires emit

Answer 20

1/4 of global C emissions
from fossil fuel

Question 21

Positive broader ecological

Answer 21

removal of ‘old’ vegetation
trigger for seeding or seed germination
increases in species diversity

Question 22

What are pyrophytic plants

Answer 22

Type of plants which have become adapted tolerate fire.

Question 23

How do pyrophytic plants survive

Answer 23

They release seeds when surrounding environment temperatures increase

Question 24

What was the 2016 Canada event

Answer 24

Expensive national disaster

60,000 evacuated

$9 bill losses

Question 25

What was the 2017 Portugal event

Answer 25

104 deaths

2 major fires

Question 26

What was the 2018 Greece event

Answer 26

102 deaths

Question 27

What was the 2018 Paradise, California event

Answer 27

85 deaths
~$16.5 billion losses

Question 28

What was the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires, SE Australia

Answer 28

34 direct deaths
445 indirect deaths (smoke inhalation)
> 9000 buildings destroyed
~ $AU 103 billion losses
10 x the forest area typically burned in
large Australian fire seasons

Question 29

Risk and trend 1

Answer 29

Globally average area burned declined ~20% in last two
decades

Question 30

There is an _______ in fires in most of world’s forest areas

Answer 30

increase

Question 31

What is altering fire regimes

Answer 31

Effects of past management practices and changing
climate

Question 32

Mitigation strategies

Answer 32

Prevention

Question 33

Prevension examples

Answer 33

Open fire ban, fuel reduction burining , building guidlines, evacuation

Question 34

Observation and risk reduction

Answer 34

Fire towers

Aerial patrols

Closure of high risk

Question 35

Event modifications

Answer 35

Hosing

Water bombing

Back burning

Fire breaks

Question 36

Environmental impact example

Answer 36

Water quality

Question 37

What type of vegetation were flammable

Answer 37

tall long grass, eucalyptus and conifer trees or gorse bushes