24 Aug Beware of Grass – a look at the main cause of Wildfires
With summer, comes dry grass, and with dry grass comes grass fires – and grass fires can quickly spiral into Wildfires. With prolific wildfires destroying the ecosystem of parts of Canada, the importance of countering and understanding how grass fires start becomes ever more relevant.
Recent grass fires have been the cause of the expansive wildfires that have irreparably damaged Canada and more recently, Maui.
Due to climate conditions, grass can become exceptionally dry and easy to burn. These dry grasses are combined with invasive grasses, such as those from other regions that have been introduced via various means. Studies show that areas with invasive grasses are three times as likely to suffer from fires.
The duration of the grass has a direct effect on the ability of the fire can spread. Dry grass fires are known to be the fastest spreading type of fire of any fuel type, the highly flammable, expansive natural material is combined with strong winds, typical of summer, and the Middle East, to cause groups of additional fires starting away from the initial source.
The scattered, but dense smoke, combined with potentially treacherous surfaces underfoot, results in difficulty for Fire and Safety personnel.
When these quick to spread fires are combined with another fuel type, such as oils, or machinery which can cause explosions – dry grass fires quickly become extraordinarily difficult to control amassing in what we know as wildfires.