Causes: Wildfires can be ignited by various factors, including lightning strikes, human activities (such as campfires, discarded cigarettes, equipment sparks, or intentional arson), and sometimes by natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions.

Conditions: Dry and hot weather, low humidity, and strong winds can create ideal conditions for wildfires to spread quickly. Climate change, with its potential to increase temperatures and alter precipitation patterns, can exacerbate wildfire risks in some regions.

Effects: Wildfires can have widespread and long-lasting effects.

They can destroy homes, infrastructure, and natural habitats.

Smoke from wildfires can worsen air quality and pose health risks to people, especially those with respiratory issues.

Loss of vegetation can lead to soil erosion, changes in water quality, and disruptions to local ecosystems.

Prevention and Management: Wildfire prevention and management strategies involve a combination of measures, including creating defensible spaces around homes in wildfire-prone areas, implementing controlled burns to reduce fuel buildup, early detection and rapid response systems, firefighting efforts by trained personnel, and public awareness campaigns.

Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI): Many wildfires occur in the wildland-urban interface, where natural areas meet human development. Managing the risks in these areas is particularly challenging due to the proximity of homes and infrastructure to fire-prone landscapes.

Global Impact: Wildfires occur on every continent except Antarctica and can have global impacts. Intense wildfires can release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Technological Advances: Remote sensing, satellite monitoring, and computer modelling are used to detect and predict wildfires, helping with early warning systems and resource allocation for firefighting efforts.