Wildfires like many other natural disasters are the fallout of global warming; the recent wild fire in California, the worst of its kind in decades, is testimony to that.
Wildfires like many other natural disasters are the fallout of global warming; the recent wild fire in California, the worst of its kind in decades, is testimony to that.
What has come to light in the wake of the raging wild fires in California, is the urgent need for fire resistant environments, better planning and strategies to combat such eventualities. Lessons could be learnt from the Northern Sandiego Fire experience, where the extensive use of fire-resistant environment in homes and surroundings protected almost all homes from the ravages of fire.Authorities now feel the need to build homes with fire resistant material. Further, landscaping with fire resistant plants will also be a blessing in times of wild fire. It is also important to plan the right evacuation methods incase of a large scale fire by widening the streets so that more people can be saved. Along with changes made to the environment, it is also imperative to tune people to the risks of wild fire.
Explaining this importance of people adaptation to risks of such unexpected calamities, James Smalley, leader of the wildfire-protection program at the National Fire Prevention Association in Quincy, Mass, said, “ People who live in flood plains or hurricane zones generally "understand the need to adapt and to build differently. But people who live in natural settings don't quite get it yet – that you can adapt, that you can still have a natural, beautiful setting. You have to understand that fire is part of the natural landscape. So you have to adapt."
Global warming increases the propensity of wild fires in many areas, especially in Western United States, the East and Southeast, according to researchers. Since the finances and manpower to manage a large-scale fire disaster is restricted, maybe adapting the environments will help reduce the pressure on fire fighters. With fire resistant homes, firefighters will be able to move faster to other areas where they are needed. Thus they will be in a position to save more number of people.
Source-Medindia
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