What is main cause of wildfire?

Answer 1

Wildfires are mainly caused due to climate change and human activities. Some of the common causes of wildfires are:

• Lightning - Wildfires caused due to lightning occur at a frequency of three to five per year. Since lightning is usually associated with rain, such wildfires do not spread over large areas.
• Human Carelessness - Majority of the cases of wildfires occur due to human carelessness, especially while handling fireworks. Debris burning and arson (burning to destroy property) are examples of other human activities that often result in wildfires.
• Slash-and-Burn Farming - This common practice of farming refers to cutting and burning of woodlands and vegetation for clearing the land. Quite often, the slash-and-burn practice results in catastrophic wildfires.
• Volcanic Activity - Sometimes, volcanoes create a favorable condition for ignition of wildfires in the nearby areas. Wildfires are also caused due to pyroclastic clouds, generated from active volcanoes.
• Underground Coal Fires - Very often, underground coal fires cause wildfires. Underground coal fires are the slow and flameless forms of combustion, below the earth's surface. Such fires continue to burn for many years, resulting in the release of toxic fumes and destruction of vegetation and human property.

Though, natural disaster and human activity cause wildfires, it is estimated that 90 percent cases of wildfires are due to human interaction with nature, either directly or indirectly.