Australia Bush Fires
Bushfires are a type of wildfires that burn through large areas of bushland. The fires are common in hot, dry weather areas like in Australia, parts of the USA, and Africa. Regions in Australia include the most bushfire-prone regions of the world.
Causes
There are various possible causes of bushfires. The fires can either start naturally, for instance, when lightning strikes and ignites dry plants and trees. Bushfires can also be caused by people, for instance, when a person fails to extinguish a campfire properly.
Climate change does not directly cause wildfires. However, climate change plays a central role in making the bushfires large and more ferocious. Due to increased global warming, earth experiences intense and longer drought periods, which dries the vegetation. The dry vegetation provides good conditions for bushfires to start.
Impacts
Bushfires have significant effects, most of which are negative. The Australian bushfires have resulted in the loss of life, human and animal, and massive property loss.
The most destructive fires are preceded by a combination of extremely high temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity. These conditions create the ideal conditions for the rapid spread of the bushfires. The 2019- 2020 bushfire season marked the worst Australian bushfire season. The bushfires were countrywide and destroyed approximately 19 million hectares. The fires also destroyed properties worth billions and caused many deaths, both directly and indirectly.
The fires caused some of the worst cases of smoke pollution. Huge plumes of black carbon, which contributed to climate change, and are harmful to health, traveled more than 7000 miles from the fires. Some people and animals died as a result of inhaling the smoke. The fires will have a long-term impact on the climate as well.