Recovering from Wildfire

Effects of Wildfires

Many homes are lost due to wildfires. Once the fire has burned out, vegetation and wildlife in that area are very limited or nonexistent. Soil in the areas affected is ruined as well. Nutrients in the soil can be burned as a result of the wildfire. Erosion can also take place because of the large amounts of water needed to put the fire out. Animals either lose their lives in the fire or become displaced. The food chain and air quality suffer due to the loss of plants and trees along with the large amounts of smoke polluting the air.

Mudslides

Deadly mudslides can occur after wildfires and may continue to harm the environment. In areas of steep hillsides, rain can cause debris left from the fire such as mud and rocks to landslide down and thus harm anything in its path. Nothing can stop these mudslides from occurring and add to the total destruction that is caused by the wildfire. Many homes are lost each year as a result of these mudslides.

Invasive Species

Wildfires can lead to invasive species of plants and animals spreading into the habitat. If too many of these fires occur, native plans can soon become endangered and begin being replaced by more non-native plants. Typically, invasive vegetation in a wildfire prone area can prove to be harmful to the overall area. Invasive species are more likely to burn, and thus continuing on a dangerous cycle. Animals may also be affected. Because of these fires altering the habitats of the area, different animals that are more suited for the new environment will move in while the former will search for new places to settle. A greater frequency of fires can lead to a less diverse population of animals in a given area.

Efforts to feed wildlife and prevent starvation have also been proven flawed, as this can lead to digestive problems and dehydration. Roadkill risks have also increased because of this tactic. Feeding these animals can lead to an overpopulation and, with limited, young sources of foo d, delay the growth and restoration of the environment. Instead of reacting to the ravaged areas immediately with knee-jerk responses, we should instead monitor how nature itself addresses the new situation at hand.

Best Way to Recover

Each year, millions of dollars are spent trying to improve the environment ravaged after a deadly wildfire. These processes include hydro-seeding and feeding wildlife which may very well be wasted money. Rather than intervening, studies have shown that nature may be better off on its own to recover. While problems such as erosion are never a good thing, attempts at stopping erosion through seeding and other processes have not produced positive results. Seeding has since been proven to cause more harm by helping invasive plants grow and native plants die as well as actually increasing the likelihood of erosion.

Sources

Trent M. ('20) & Caitlin H. ('21)

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