Forest fires are massive chains
of fire breakouts in forest regions especially in summers due to an increase in
surface temperature. Annually swathes of forest and peat land are destroyed and
countless animals perish in flames and smoke. At times the rapid spread of
these wildfires reaches the areas inhabited by people and they claim many lives
and houses which are set on their path. It’s extremely difficult to control the
situation if the fires have consumed acres of land. Often the fire officials
lost their lives in their attempt to extinguish the rage of wildfire.
We could see this undeniable
destruction with our naked eyes but there’ far more serious issue that lies in
the deep layer of our atmosphere. Wildfires accompanied by a blanket of smoke
cover the whole region including the nearby cities and towns but seldom we know
what this smoke is consists of. The burning of debris releases harmful gases
like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other volatile
inorganic compounds. Apart from global warming, these gases cause burning of
the eyes, choking, and various skin allergies. In the case of asthma patients
inhaling these poisonous gases can even lead to death.
Yet there’s another silent killer
hidden behind these gases which we often exclude from this scenario, the
particulate matter (PM). These are tiny, lightweight particles of soot which is
the most common component in air pollution in cities. Even though vehicles and
industries release particulate matter into the air, the smoke from wildfires
can lead to their dramatic spike in our atmosphere. These particles when
inhaled enters the nasal cavity and eventually settles on the lungs causing
various pulmonary disorders. Since we can’t detect the presence of particulates
in our atmosphere we won’t take any precautions especially while traveling
through busy cities. This in turn causes the degradation of our respiratory
system. The majority of people living in metropolitan cities are vulnerable to
various respiratory disorders and the shocking fact is that the children are
the most affected. Excess inhalation of particulate matter can lead to
non-fatal heart attacks in heart patients. These may lead to premature death in
people mainly due to heart or lung disease.
In the case of wildfires, the
quantity of particulate matter released into the atmosphere is manifold. The
animals are more prone to the ill-effects of particulates when compared to
humans, especially the smaller animals with sensitive internal organs. The
abundance of PM could lead to the slow death of fauna which may, in turn, lead
to their extinction.
Human beings were not environment
friendly for the past few centuries. As a result, man-made catastrophes were
haunting our nature, destroying the natural habitats of flora and fauna.
Wildfires are one of them. There were wildfires in the past too but now their
rate has increased dramatically. Most of the time it’s clearly due to our
careless behavior. In a dry and hot climate, a fragile spark could even create
a monstrous wildfire. We should be more careful while we are inside a forest
especially during summers. Maybe your cigarette could be the reason for a
cataclysmic event that could even be a threat to your dear ones too. Proper handling
of fire and alertness could prevent this kind of man-made disaster to a large
extend.