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If you're like me and you wondered if the fires raging on the west coast could benefit from the controlled burn approach Australia has historically used to cont
by yowlingcat 6y ago
If you're like me and you wondered if the fires raging on the west coast could benefit from the controlled burn approach Australia has historically used to control bushfires, the answer seems to be a disappointing no [1]. Any folks who know this better than me who can comment?
> He adds that a particular feature of the recent fires in Australia is that they have spread across the crown or top part of the forest - so removing growth at ground level does not make that much difference.
> Also the fires have been hot and intense enough to burn through areas that were already burned, with embers able to travel through the air and ignite areas far away from an active fire.
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51020384 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51020384
- jdsfighter 6y agoA couple months back, I read an article on how California's indigenous peoples used to do controlled burns to help prevent wildfires. Apparently it was something California put an end to, despite the indigenous folks' insistence. It seems to have begun making a comeback in recent years though [1] [1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/21/wildfire-prescribed-burns-california-native-americans https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/21/wildfire-pre...
- mensetmanusman 6y agoConservation of energy indicates that you can ‘flatten the curve’ of forest fires by doing more burns more frequently that are less intense.
- yowlingcat 6y agoThat's what I was under the impression of as well. What the article seems to imply, though, is that exogenous increase in burn intensity (ostensibly through climate change) is making the mileage of that approach less practical than it used to be. Of course, I'm sure the two are not mutually exclusive.