schmorpel@slrpnk.net 13 hours ago
It can be both. Usually authorities try to evacuate people before the fire approaches too much, but sometimes wind comes up and spreads the fire faster. Some places are very difficult to access, with narrow curvy roads through flammable forest. Sometimes these roads don’t get closed down quickly enough and people get trapped. Mountainous terrain on fire gets chaotic easily.
May this be a fresh and moist summer, may the water stay around and keep us safe!
LadyButterfly@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 hours ago
Yep the fire service in the UK do a lot to prevent fires eg reducing litter in alleyways. Preventing is always better
HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 2 hours ago
One bit of difference between forests in the UK and those in the western US and parts of Australia is that the forests in the second group included fires as part of the lifecycle of the forest. The release of seeds occurs after a fire and some trees are able to resist fires of a certain temperature.
The problem is that white settlers saw the fires as bad, doing a really good job at preventing forest fires. The problem with doing that is that the forests now have a far higher energy density than they were evolved for, so modern fires are a lot worse.