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Forgive my ignorance but can someone explain how these kinds of fires usually start and why couldn't they stop them when they were small and easy to put away?
by csanivar 7y ago
Forgive my ignorance but can someone explain how these kinds of fires usually start and why couldn't they stop them when they were small and easy to put away?
- benmmurphy 7y agoI think the main sources are lightning strikes, accidental human ignition and deliberate arson. A lot of people have been arrested for deliberate arson recently (https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nsw-firefronts-uncontrollable-as-state-braces-for-heatwave/news-story/4f006855e6b1598ba3a6d53c66391516 https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nsw-firefronts-uncon...). I would guess a combination of winds and high fuel load means a small fire can become an uncontrollable roaring blaze very quickly. I guess also a lot of fires could be started in areas that are not easily accessible to fire fighters so it might not even be an option to stop them while they are small.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago...and a fair few from the native Australian species, the Eucalyptus. Known to spontaneously combust and even spontaneously explode when spots of resin magnify sunlight. The leaves give off enough oils into the air that they can also spread a fire across a wide area through the tree tops. The plants and seeds are adapted to use fire as part of reproduction, and the seeds fire resistant. Just never normally on this scale.