Fire fire every where, not a drop to douse
Monday - January 13, 2020 1:01 pm ,
Category : WTN SPECIAL
WTN- The forest fire raging across the Australian coast is a catastrophe of an unprecedented level and the country is running short of options to effectively douse it, even as over 100 major blazes are still active. Wildfires are a part of the natural rhythm of the Australian environment but this time it has exceeded all parameters of what could be deemed as normal. Almost whole of Australia has been engulfed in the fire, towns are being evacuated, people have been charred and animals have perished in large numbers.
At least 12 million acres of land have been scorched by the untameable inferno even as firefighters are mucking in day and night using every possible means at their disposal to stem the tide.
Experts feel the ecology of Australia is going to change for ever after this apocalyptical occurrence. The intensity of the fires can be gauged from the fact that the flames are rising as high as 70 metres – about 20-ft more than the iconic Sydney Opera House and spreading as fast as 7-8 miles per hour, making it that much difficult for the firemen to control them. Scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate will contribute to fires becoming more frequent and more intense.
Many parts of Australia have been in drought conditions, some for years, which has made it easier for the fires to spread and grow. Added to that human activities and interference further escalated the chances of fires. More than anything else, these fires are rapidly depleting the forest resources of the world even as we are already short of green cover. Last year it was the rain forest fire in the jungles of Amazon, which are considered the lungs of the world, that led to the loss of precious forest resources over a vast space.
There are thousands of big and small forest fires all around the world at different times of the year and in different intensities but we have not been able to device an effective way to control them. In India itself we are privy to frequent forest fires but not been able to do much about them. It is in any case a tough job to track a fire when it starts deep in the jungle, especially when it is due to some natural cause like lightning, and due to the rapidity of its spread, by the time it comes on the radar, it gets too late and makes it a Herculean task to effectively control it.
This is one major reason for the destructive proportions fires take. Growing human population pressure is already bleeding our wildlife and forest resources. Fires only add to the misery and perhaps they will continue to do so till we have some more advanced ways of monitoring and controlling them. But till then, every raging fire is a threat to the present and future of humanity. - Window To News
At least 12 million acres of land have been scorched by the untameable inferno even as firefighters are mucking in day and night using every possible means at their disposal to stem the tide.
Experts feel the ecology of Australia is going to change for ever after this apocalyptical occurrence. The intensity of the fires can be gauged from the fact that the flames are rising as high as 70 metres – about 20-ft more than the iconic Sydney Opera House and spreading as fast as 7-8 miles per hour, making it that much difficult for the firemen to control them. Scientists have long warned that a hotter, drier climate will contribute to fires becoming more frequent and more intense.
Many parts of Australia have been in drought conditions, some for years, which has made it easier for the fires to spread and grow. Added to that human activities and interference further escalated the chances of fires. More than anything else, these fires are rapidly depleting the forest resources of the world even as we are already short of green cover. Last year it was the rain forest fire in the jungles of Amazon, which are considered the lungs of the world, that led to the loss of precious forest resources over a vast space.
There are thousands of big and small forest fires all around the world at different times of the year and in different intensities but we have not been able to device an effective way to control them. In India itself we are privy to frequent forest fires but not been able to do much about them. It is in any case a tough job to track a fire when it starts deep in the jungle, especially when it is due to some natural cause like lightning, and due to the rapidity of its spread, by the time it comes on the radar, it gets too late and makes it a Herculean task to effectively control it.
This is one major reason for the destructive proportions fires take. Growing human population pressure is already bleeding our wildlife and forest resources. Fires only add to the misery and perhaps they will continue to do so till we have some more advanced ways of monitoring and controlling them. But till then, every raging fire is a threat to the present and future of humanity. - Window To News
