Literature Review

Forest fires are defined as a fire that spreads without control or planning, on vegetation either in rural or urban areas. Forest fires are the leading cause of forest destruction in the world. In forest fires, in addition to trees and bushes, animals, houses, natural shelters for some species are also lost, sometimes the soil is irreversibly damaged, and many harmful gases are emitted into the atmosphere. These gases produced by forest fires, added to others produced by the burning of fossil fuels, contribute to increasing the temperature of our planet. This article is aimed at determining the effects on global warming of these forest fires.

Global warming is one more phenomenon within the process of climate change that humanity faces today. Global warming is nothing more than the increase in the temperature of the atmosphere and for that reason more heat is retained than necessary, and the Earth overheats. This process is undoubtedly the most worrying consequence of climate change that we are facing. The consequences of this phenomenon have influenced the seasons of the year, making the hot months longer and more intense and the winters shorter. To analyze how forest fires are directly related to these changes and vice versa, our review is directed (Figueiras, S,2022).

Different studies show curious data about the relationship between global warming and forest fires. There are different opinions as to whether there is a reciprocal effect between both events. According to (Schauenberg, 2020) in 2019 there were 400 thousand more forest fires worldwide than in 2018. What is worse: more than three times as many hectares were burned in the same period. But this has an explanation: global warming increases the risk of fires in forested areas. Almost all the most devastating megafires in the last 10 years have occurred in unusually hot climates (UN Environment, 2020).

Does this mean that the cause of forest fires is climate change? Strictly speaking, the answer is no. Climate change does not produce forest fires since these do not generate spontaneously because of a drought. Climate change affects the fact that year after year there is a greater amount of combustible material that can easily start to burn, but it is not the trigger of the fires (Castillo, et al. 2019). In this regard, much literature and experts say that 90% of forest fires are caused by humans. The causes known as natural usually refer to isolated events such as lightning strikes in Andean areas affected by drought, which constitute only 1% of the origin of these fires (González, et al. 2020).

This research has analyzed various sources to determine the causes and effects of forest fires on global warming. It is important to consider all the opinions about it; Citizens must be aware of the risk and take extreme precautions. In fact, the ideal is to look for alternatives to the use of fire when we are in wooded environments. The genetic diversity of plants in forest areas should be cared for and stimulated. If there is an overabundance of trees, this will cause more virulent fires because fires spread more easily.

References

Castillo, M., Saavedra, Jorge., Brull, J. (2019). Fire severity in mega wildfires.

Shauenberg, T. (January 9, 2020). Forest fires: climate change and deforestation increase the global risk.

UN Environment. (January 10, 2020). Are big fires part of a new normal? www.unenvironment.org

https://www.ceupe.mx) (Figueiras, S,2022)

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González, M.E., Sapiains, R., Gómez-González, S., Garreaud, R., Miranda, A., Galleguillos, M., Jacques, M., Pauchard, A., Hoyos, J., Cordero, L. , Vásquez, F., Lara, A., Aldunce, P., Delgado, V., Arriagada, Ugarte, A.M., Sepúlveda, A., Farías, L., García, R., Rondanelli, R., J., Ponce, R., Vargas, F., Rojas, M., Boisier, J.P., C., Carrasco, Little, C., Osses, M., Zamorano, C., Díaz-Hormazábal, I., Ceballos, A. , Guerra, E., Moncada, M., Castillo, I. (2020). Forest fires in Chile: causes, impacts, and resilience. Climate and Resilience Science Center (CR)2, (ANID/FONDAP/15110009), 84 pp.