- By Bornika Das
- Wed, 23 Apr 2025 07:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Jersey Wildfire: A wildfire was reported in New Jersey, spreading to 8,500 acres on 22nd April, causing over 3,000 evacuations and threatening more than 1,300 structures. The fast-moving wildfire started in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area of Ocean County in the morning. One of the busiest highways in New Jersey, the Garden State Parkway, saw closure due to the spread of the wildfire and the stretch between Barnegat and Lacey townships was closed and the traffic was diverted. However, no casualties have been reported. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the USA has witnessed 13 large fires that have burned down 25,807 acres across the country. Since January 1, 2025, there have been 19,512 wildfires which have burned down 881,249 acres. Wildfires or forest fires happen due to several natural as well as human factors.
Impact Of Wildfires
Wildfires are catastrophic events that result in the emission of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, significantly contributing to global greenhouse gas levels. The ecological impact is immense, accounting for a large number of wildlife fatalities estimated in the billions. Moreover, the damages and losses run into hundreds of billions of dollars. Also, the smoke and pollutants released during these forest fires pose serious respiratory risks and can lead to long-term health complications for people in affected areas.
Causes Of Wildfires
Natural Factors That Cause Wildfires
Lightning Strikes: This is the most common natural cause of forest fires. Lighting can hit power cables, trees, shrubs or dry grass and cause forest fires to ignite.
Volcanoes: Another natural cause of wildfires is volcanic eruptions. Hot magma from the earth’s crust is expelled as lava during a volcanic eruption, causing it to flow down mountainsides and spread out over the forest floor, initiating fires. As the lava from a volcanic eruption has a huge temperature, it burns everything in its path and the fuel does not need to be very flammable.
Spontaneous Combustion: Decomposing organic materials, such as piles of dry leaves or compost, can produce heat over time. If the heat accumulates and reaches a critical point, it can ignite a fire.
Causes Of Wildfire (Image Credits: Canva)
Human Factors That Cause Wildfires
Vehicles And Tools Scraping Hard Surfaces: Some common causes include vehicle collisions, metal mower or weed-whacking blades striking rocks, and chains hanging off trucks that scrape pavement, initiating wildfires.
Power Lines And Other Electrical Equipment: Power lines often break in strong winds and sparks spread dangerously fast with faster winds and dry vegetation. Outlets and appliances can also spark or overheat and cause electrical fires to escalate.
Debris Burning: Fires lit for agricultural purposes, like clearing land or removing crop residue, make up 29% of wildfires nationally.
Campfires: Campfires, especially illegal, unattended, or poorly extinguished ones, have the potential to burn thousands of acres. If the fire warning is high, it can really spell trouble.
Arson: People sometimes intentionally burn property or nature.
Cigarettes And Fireworks: People should be mindful to practice safe use and disposal of both cigarette butts and fireworks, as even small heat sources can ignite dry vegetation and lead to huge wildfires.
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