Wildfires provide a slew of associated hazards which require adequate hazard mitigation strategies to protect their communities. First‚ it is important to examine the human element. Wildfires primarily impact dry vegetation climates‚ however‚ most fires are caused by the inappropriate utilization of fire‚ subsequently causing fires (Smith and Petley‚ 2013‚ p. 288). However‚ wildfires can be also be caused by a more natural means. The natural occurrence of lightning provided an ignition source which
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WHAT IS A DROUGHT? While other parts of the country receive good rain. Others‚ such as the drought of 1982±83‚ can affectmore than half of the country. Droughts can beshort and intense‚ such as the drought that lastedfrom 1 April 1982 to 28 February 1983; or they canbe long lived‚ such as the drought from 1 March1991 to 31 December 1995. When drought comes to Australia‚ agriculturesuffers first and most severely Ð and eventuallyeveryone feels the impact. Economic impactsDrought affects farmers
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The magnitude of bushfires is determined by the extent‚ amount‚ intensity and impact of a fire upon a natural or cultural environment. In considering this‚ it is necessary to observe the factors which effect the intensity of a fire and to what scale they impact upon a community or environment. The intensity of a bushfire is measured by the speed at which heat is released from a fire‚ based on unit per length‚ this is effected by the quantity of fuel available (as more fuel equals larger fire) and
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successfully and became adapted to these harsher environmental conditions‚ hence survival of fittest. However‚ the natural occurrences of fires in ecosystem can lead to devastating effects of the ecosystem and the close-by communities. The aftermath of a bushfire or any local community is often immeasurable‚ leaving people with nothing but black ash. For this reason‚ we need to enforce the benefits of integrating a ‘prescribed burning’ approach in our community‚ especially‚ where the land is fuel embedded
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Natural Hazards : Wildfires / Causes of Wildfires 41 Wildfire Definition : an Uncontrolled fire which breaks out in a Natural Environment. It may be ‘controlled’ (put out) after some days or weeks – but for a time it is out of control – and takes place in forests‚ grasslands or crop fields – not in cities. Key Terms : Natural Lightning : Common in summer when thunderstorms develop. The biggest single ‘natural’ cause Natural cause Volcanic eruptions : lava‚ ash‚ pyroclastic flows can spark
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Bushfire incidents in Australia are caused in many different ways‚ some of the main reasons are accidents‚ such as vehicle fires‚ Human carelessness‚ for example‚ from discarded cigarette butts or escapes from campfires and Lightning. The Intensity of bushfires is increased by dry vegetation‚ often after a period of heatwave‚ together with strong‚ gusting winds‚ and absence of precipitation Faulty power lines are also often a cause of bushfires. Australia experiences many types of bushfires. Fires
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On 7 February‚ 2009‚ the state of Victoria in Australia experienced its worst ever bushfires on record with more than 700 fires burning on one day. This year bushfires will continue to spark up during the hot summer months‚ and as a new resident to Victoria it is important you have a bushfire action plan in place just in case fires move to the area where you live. Bushfires that are not in your immediate vicinity can cause discomfort to your family because of the ash and smoke in the air‚ however
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What are the effects of bushfires? As they rage through the bush‚ they can burn houses to the ground‚ ruin crops‚ farmland‚ destroy whole communities and businesses. Large fires can often take many lives‚ be it those of people who are trapped in burning buildings‚ from breathing in too much smoke‚ or animals‚ from loss of habitat or being unable to withstand such high temperatures. Not only are many lives claimed to the fire‚ but many of those who survive the disasters suffer bad or permanent injuries
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October 3‚ 2013 In summer 2013 wildfires have been a major problem all over the world. When you think of fires you probably think about all the negative effects‚ but did you know that in some cases fires can be good? A way that we can help forests is by using a controlled burn or selectively logging. That is how you use a fire positively. That will help the community and the ecosystem. One place I will talk about in specific is Utah. The first thing I will address is the positive effects that
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Black Saturday Black Saturday was a series of bushfires that ignited and burnt in Victoria from Saturday‚ 7th February 2009 - 14 March 2009. As many as 400 individual fires were recorded on 7 February. Following the events of 7 February 2009 and its aftermath‚ that day has become widely referred to as Black Saturday. The majority of the fires were said to be started by fallen or clashing power lines‚ lightning‚ cigarette butts‚ and sparks from a power tools. They burnt over 4‚500 km² of land. Background
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