Fire: Oxford Very Short Lecture 015

Long before human settlements or even the appearance of humans, fire was a force that transformed the Earth.

 

Historically, impressive fires, often occurring in urban areas, include the Great Fire of London in 1666, the Great Fire of Kyoto in Japan in 1788, and the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. However, wildfires are in fact a frequent occurrence. As human homes encroach upon the wilderness, wildfires at the wildland-urban interface cause significant loss of life and property. From Hawaii to California, South Korea to Japan, wildfires continue to be a focus of attention globally.

 

In nature, regular wildfires burn down large plants but spare the root systems of grasses, thus creating landscapes such as "savannas." Besides evolving corresponding landscapes, the behavior of fire also participates in the evolution of plant traits. For example, to adapt to the frequent wildfires of Earth's early environment, plants developed asexual reproduction, or the characteristic of releasing seeds only when exposed to heat from fire. Furthermore, different fire regimes can also lead to fire biodiversity.

 

Through traces left on organisms and more advanced satellite photography, the scientific community has conducted many observations and developed strategies regarding wildfire behavior.