Forest Fires -Hidden value among the ashes

Forest fires occur globally in all regions of the planet.  Their frequency, intensity and extent vary significantly from region to region.  Some fires are quickly addressed in an effort to control their devastation wile others  are left to burn in an uncontrolled manner.

The impact from forest fires is felt across the globe.  It seems that where forests thrive there too forest fires present themselves.  The only regions of the planet where forest fires seem to not occur, or occur with much less frequency, is where there are no trees like Antarctica and the deserts of north Africa (that’s a no-brainer) or where the surface vegetation is sparse and the climate is very cold and wet.

Forest fires can be influenced by a combination of factors, including climate conditions (temperature, humidity, wind), fuel availability (dry vegetation), lightning strikes, human activities (negligence, arson, land-use changes), and forest management practices.

Types of vegetation also have an impact on forest fires. Pine trees and junipers contain flammable resins or oils in their foliage, bark, and branches. These resins are highly combustible and can ignite and sustain a fire, even when the tree or its surroundings are wet. The resins act as an accelerant, allowing the fire to propagate despite the presence of moisture.

While the surface of pine needles or juniper foliage may appear wet after rainfall or dew, the moisture does not always penetrate deep into the vegetation. The needles or leaves of these trees have a large surface area that can shed water quickly, preventing adequate moisture absorption. As a result, the inner layers of the foliage or twigs may remain dry, providing fuel for a fire.

Pine trees and junipers often have a buildup of dead and dry material, such as fallen needles, branches, and cones, on the forest floor or within the tree canopy. This dry material can ignite and burn easily, even with minimal heat, and contribute to the spread of fire.

Excessive buildup of this combustible material contributes to the severity of the fire. Forests with excessive underbrush and years of tree debris seem to have more severe fires that take down large trees.  Conversely, forests with minimal underbrush and tree debris tend to have fires of less magnitude and generally do not bother larger healthy trees.

Some pine species, particularly those in fire-prone ecosystems, have fire-adaptive characteristics. For instance, serotinous pines have cones that remain closed until exposed to the heat of a fire, at which point they open, releasing seeds onto the newly cleared soil. These adaptations increase the trees’ chances of surviving a fire.

Other trees develop thick bark that doesn’t burn easily and insulates the delicate phloam and xylem in the tree’s cambium growth layer.  The Ponderosa and Western Yellow Pine are good examples of this.  These trees also drop lower branches as the tree matures.  This helps avoid any fire from climbing up the tree.

The shortstraw pine also called the Southern Yellow Pine has an extensive root system and many dormant buds protected underground.  After a fire moves through the extensive root system releases its nutrients and the buds burst forth to regenerate the tree.

Other trees develop thick bark that doesn’t burn easily and insulates the delicate phloam and xylem in the tree’s cambium growth layer.  The Ponderosa and Western Yellow Pine are good examples of this.  These trees also drop lower branches as the tree matures.  This helps avoid any fire from climbing up the tree.

The shortstraw pine also called the Southern Yellow Pine has an extensive root system and many dormant buds protected underground.  After a fire moves through the extensive root system releases its nutrients and the buds burst forth to regenerate the tree.

Many plants in fire zones need fire either directly or indirectly to help germinate seeds.  The seed typically has a hard outer shell that allows them to remain dormant sometimes for several years, waiting for a fire.  It may be the intense heat of the fire, smoke, or the new surface nutrients in the ash that causes these seeds to germinate.

Examples of these plants are the Buckthorn family, Coffeeberry, Redberry, and Ceanothus.  These plants grow in the chaparral area of the American West.

When a fire burns through a forest there is a natural removal of trees that are not able to survive the heat of the fire.  Underbrush is also cleared by burning.  Often the trees that fall victim to a fire are trees that are diseased, dead, or very young.  The removal of these trees is a mechanism of the fire and their removal achieves many purposes.

Just as in your home garden, forests have a myriad of pests and diseases continually attacking its’ richly diverse fauna.  For many reasons the delicate balance of mechanisms keeping disease and pests in manageable numbers can sometimes fail and the result can become a blight on the forest threatening specific species of fauna, or threatening an entire stand of trees.  When a fire burns through the forest the pests and diseases attacking the fauna are removed or brought back into manageable populations.

Perhaps the most obvious change in the forest after afire is the removal of combustible material.  Removal of this material reduces the amount of fuel that subsequent fires will have available to consume.  Without large quantities of combustible material, subsequent fires burn with less vigor and have limited ability to consume large trees.

Removal of combustible material reduces the congestion of the forest and opens up the canopy above letting sunlight filter down to the ground.  This provides sufficient light for new seedlings and budding trees to grow.  Removing underbrush aids in increasing airflow through the forest.  This assists with reducing fungal growth on young plants.  With increased airflow comes airborne seeds to re-establish a ground cover which, in turn, contributes to the overall health of the re-generating forest.

Many consider ash as an annoying byproduct of wood fires.  It’s dusty, it clings to everything, it’s a powdery annoying material that can quickly soil just about everything.

Ash is terribly misunderstood.  Ash is the byproduct of fauna combustion and it is the indispensable component necessary in forest re-generation.

Without ash a forest would take significantly longer to re-generate, if at all.  Ash plays several important roles in ecosystems following a forest fire.

Here are some of the key roles of ash:

1. Nutrient Cycling: Ash contains various essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements. When deposited on the forest floor, the ash can contribute to the replenishment of soil nutrients. After a fire, the release of these nutrients from the ash promotes the growth of new vegetation and facilitates the recovery of the ecosystem.
2. Soil Fertility: Ash can increase the fertility of soils by raising the pH levels and improving nutrient availability. The alkaline nature of ash can neutralize acidic soils, creating a more suitable environment for plant growth. This can enhance the regeneration of plant communities in post-fire landscapes.
3. Seed Germination: Ash acts as a protective layer that can enhance seed germination. Some plant species have seeds that require specific conditions for germination, such as exposure to heat or the presence of specific chemicals found in ash. The presence of ash can provide a suitable microenvironment for these seeds to sprout and establish new plant populations.
4. Erosion Control: After a fire, the loss of vegetation and the exposure of bare soil can increase the risk of erosion. Ash, when mixed with soil, can form a protective layer that helps prevent soil erosion caused by wind and water. It can stabilize the soil surface, reduce runoff, and protect against the loss of valuable topsoil.
5. Water Retention: Ash can help retain moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation and improving water infiltration. The fine particles in ash can create a porous layer that traps moisture and increases water-holding capacity. This can benefit newly germinated plants and promote their survival during the early stages of post-fire recovery.
6. Microbial Activity: Ash provides a substrate for microbial colonization and activity. Microorganisms play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and decomposition processes. Ash can serve as a habitat for bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, contributing to the breakdown of organic matter and the recycling of nutrients.

Forest fires seem to have great benefit in maintaining a healthy forest – yet, fires have a downside too. When forests are not allowed to periodically experience a clearing burn the forest becomes increasingly unhealthy and combustible material abounds.

A sudden fire in these types of forests is going to be highly volatile and have great destructive capability.  The airborne particulates and volatile gases will certainly have a detrimental affect on those with health considerations.  Due to the intensity of the burn, the fire will easily jump breaks and roads.  Personal property and animals will be at heightened risk of damage and death.

Preventing forest fires is not necessarily a good idea.  Tolerating periodic burns will keep personal property protected and will help the forest remain healthy.

If you are in a position to advocate for controlled burns, then encourage these burns to take place under the supervision of a burn specialist from a local Dept. of Natural Resources.

If you have a house or buildings in a forested area, then make necessary changes to landscape and building materials.  Thermal energy transfer has three forms: Conduction, Convection, and Radiation.

Conduction is when molecules transfer kinetic energy to each other through collisions.  Convection occurs when hot air rises and allows cooler air to come in and be heater.  This is the wind associated with forest fires.  Radiation is when accelerated charged particles release electromagnetic radiation which can be felt as heat.  All three forms are present in a forest fire and will each have an affect on personal property.

When a forest fire approaches, with fire in the canopy of the trees (a sign of a destructive file), the property owner should expect fire heated wind to carry burning material unto the property roof.  Along with the wind will come excessive radiant heat able to raise the roof temperature of the property.  If the roof is made from combustible material, the roof material will begin to release combustible volatile gases.  Burning debris will float down from the engulfed tree canopy and land on the roof igniting the roof material.

To prevent this scenario from playing out, consider changing the roof material to a metal roof.  It is unlikely a metal roof will ignite.

The siding of property is also at risk for igniting if it is made from a combustible material.  Consider siding of rock, brick, plaster, or stucco.  These materials are poor thermal conductors and are not flammable.  Excessive heat will have marginal affect, and not result in volatile gases being released from the structure.

Windows will conduct  heat from electromagnetic radiation .  Prepare window shutters constructed from a non combustible material.  Functional shutters look nice and provide great protection for window frames and great protection against radiant heat igniting window treatments within the house.

Landscaping plays a role too.  If the property is ever surrounded in a forest fire, the landscape plantings will not survive if the fire is intense.  Plan not to have any pine shrubbery near the house.  The resins in any of the pinus species are highly flammable producing an intense fire once ignited.

Having animals in a fire region takes a bit more planning to ensure they are cared for during  a fir event.

Many factors go into planning for animal welfare in fire zones.  The best solution for horses, and other ruminants is to provide a pasture with a pond that has a fence line.  The fence line should be a distance from the forest to keep from igniting by radiant heat.  This is the area animals will be turned out into if a fire is approaching.  While they will be on heightened alert, animals will survive in a defined space.

During fire season the pasture will need to be mowed to keep the grass shorter.  Shorter grass doesn’t die off as readily as grass left alone.  Grass that’s left alone will grow tall, dry out, and be easy fuel for a grass fire.  If you are maintaining a pasture for fire safety the last thing you want is to have a grass fire where you have just put your animals.

It goes without saying that if animals are already housed in a metal barn it may not be necessary to keep them in a different pasture area

After a fire in a rural setting it is not unusual to be without power, roads, and cell service.  Develop a plan to care for animals for at least a month following the fire.  This means putting away grain and hay sufficient to feed all the animals.  Depending on what species are kept, there might be an assortment of different foods necessary to stockpile.  For ruminants the grass that may have been burned off during the fire should grow back in a month enough for feeding to resume.

After a fire in a rural setting it is not unusual to be without power, roads, and cell service.  Develop a plan to care for animals for at least a month following the fire.  This means putting away grain and hay sufficient to feed all the animals.  Depending on what species are kept, there might be an assortment of different foods necessary to stockpile.  For ruminants the grass that may have been burned off during the fire should grow back in a month enough for feeding to resume.

Consider building a feed barn that is fire proof.  This can be done using cinder block, brick, concrete, steele, etc.  Use a metal roof with steel trusses for support.  This is where the backup generator, and ifuel tank will be housed.  Depending on water sources, the well head might be located close nearby.

Don’t expect streams to be capable of providing clean water for some time after a fire.  When forests are reduced to ash, the heavy metals and other persistent environmental toxins leach from the ash into water run-off and raise toxin levels in natural streams.

Forest fires will always be a mixed blessing.  Planning for how to address a fire before a fire exists will make all the difference in so many ways.