5 ms·
Forest fires (used) to be a natural occurrence which was healthy for forests. 70 years of "put every fire out" has resulted in forests with excess fuel. That c
by deedubaya 8y ago
Forest fires (used) to be a natural occurrence which was healthy for forests.
70 years of "put every fire out" has resulted in forests with excess fuel. That coupled with dry spells and warmer temps = a powder keg instead of natural burns.
- moultano 8y agoThe places these fires are burning have no natural sources to start fires. California never gets lightning except in the Sierra's.
- mbrumlow 8y agoI am not sure you can say any region "never" gets anything. But even so, the region seems perfect for spontaneous combustion.
- decebalus1 8y ago> But even so, the region seems perfect for spontaneous combustion. Forests don't spontaneous combust. I don't believe there was any forest fire proven to have started via spontaneous combustion.
- JoeAltmaier 8y agohttp://www.borealforest.org/world/innova/forest_fire.htm http://www.borealforest.org/world/innova/forest_fire.htm It happens
- decebalus1 8y agothat's not proof of anything. https://www.nps.gov/articles/fire-prevention-52-spontaneous-combustion.htm https://www.nps.gov/articles/fire-prevention-52-spontaneous-... Forests don't spontaneously combust. Sawdust does, manure does, compost piles do but there's isn't near enough fuel in a forest without human intervention to cause spontaneous combustion.
- mbrumlow 8y agoYour link proves nothing either. That and I find it odd you don't count the sun as a external heat source. But beyond that there are enough sources indicating it can happen... - https://sciencestruck.com/what-causes-forest-fires https://sciencestruck.com/what-causes-forest-fires - https://www.natural-hazards.ch/home/dealing-with-natural-hazards/forest-fire/danger-levels-forest-fire.html https://www.natural-hazards.ch/home/dealing-with-natural-haz... - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_combustion https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_combustion - https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-wildfires https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-wildfires It seems I could go on and on of people describing how it can happen and some how it has happens.
- 0xffff2 8y agoHuh? The Camp fire was in the Sierras.
- saiya-jin 8y agoAre you aware that a single droplet of water can cause sun rays focus enough to start a fire? Imagine playing around with magnifying glass. It ain't guaranteed, but take 1 billion of those drops, a mix of good conditions (no rain, just droplets from morning dew in otherwise dry place) and things will eventually happen naturally. I've seen it caught on camera by BBC team in some african documentary, a single droplet around bird's nest causing significant fire.
- mannykannot 8y agoRare, but it happens: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lightning-strikes-southern-california-map-20140729-story.html https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lightning-strik... The existence of adaptations to fire in the Californian ecology is good evidence for it being a significant factor (and if these were in response to human activity, then why not elsewhere?)
- moultano 8y agoNative Americans had been setting fire to the whole landscape for 14 thousand years. That is not evidence for natural sources of fire.
- almost_usual 8y agoThis doesn’t matter. The only thing to realize at this point is it’s going to burn extensively and it’s out of our control.
- ergothus 8y agoI heard this decades ago, and heard that practices were changing, albeit with problems where people have towns/homes up against forest. I even think I recall a big fire a few years ago that was a controlled burn that broke free. Is the issue truly that practices still havent changed?
- tyu1000 8y agoThis is all covered in the article!!!