17 Biggest Pros and Cons of Controlled Forest Fires

When you think about the sounds or smells of a fire, what damages come to mind? It is not unusual for people to have a wide range of reactions to the stimulus. As Cal Fire notes, this is rather surprising because fire is one of our most significant tools, but it is also one of our most distractive forces that we battle each year. That is never more evident than the times when we must battle a forest fire.

Is fire an enemy? Could it be our friend?

When we look at the possibilities of a forest fire, then we are observing a way for nature to clear a way for new life to occur. It can reduce debris in forests, manage grasslands, and even improve the health of the soil. Then we see what fire does to a town like Paradise, CA, when it sweeps through with its destructive speed and wonder how it could ever provide a beneficial process to society.

When forest fires are kept under control, we typically get to experience the many benefits that it provides. If it escapes the boundaries of what we want it to do, then we must handle the disadvantages which occur.

That is why these forest fires pros and cons are so important to review.

List of the Pros of Forest Fires

1. Forest fires help to clean the forest floor.
Forest fires how to remove the low growing underbrush that exists underneath the canopy. It works to clean the forest floor of debris that can develop over time through the natural growing processes of the trees. It clears away the unhealthy trees to allow others to grow in its place. There are times when it may even return nutrients to the soil. By keeping the floor clean, it becomes possible to reduce the risk of a future fire that could grow out of control.

2. Forest fires promote healthier trees.
When we look back at the history of forest management, we can see that the forests from centuries ago had fewer trees, but they were taller and stronger. The modern forest has more trees, but it also has and additional inventory that are not as healthy or large as they could be. Established trees are forced to compete for resources with the undergrowth and one another to grow as they should. Forest fires might kill off the weak plants, but it also allows the surviving trees to maximize their strength to promote a healthier biome.

3. Forest fires help to increase water availability.
When a forest fire removes a thick stand of shrubs, then it reduces water consumption levels in the biome. When there are fewer plants absorbing water, then the streams and creeks that flow through the area remain fuller throughout each season. That makes it easier for the forest to support wildlife. More water makes it possible for all of the remaining plants and the animals in the biome to benefit from its availability. Fire also promotes the growth of new grasses that can provide habitat and food for the local wildlife.

4. Forest fires help to kill disease that can impact the biome.
Forest fires help to kill the diseases and insects that like to prey on the trees in the biome. In any given year in the United States, more trees die because of pests or disease than they do because of fire. An infestation can cause a forest to struggle in only a few years. Bark beetles and pitch canker are significant problems that we are attempting to manage right now. By introducing the element of fire to the situation, it becomes an easier task to keep the unaffected portions of the forest health.

5. Forest fires help to encourage change in the biome.
Did you know that some species of plants and trees are dependent on the presence of fire for their survival? They must experience a forest fire at least once every 25 years to preserve life. Some species require one every three years. Although the heat can damage some of the trees in the forest, some have bark that is fire-resistant. Their cones require the heat to open, which then releases their seeds to allow for generation. Chamise, scrub oak, and manzanita all fall into this category.

Some of the plants even encourage the development of forest fires because they produce flammable resins with their leaves. If we didn’t have a periodic forest fire, then these species would succumb to old age and never produce a new generation.

6. Forest fires can help to stop wildfires.
Over 129 million trees died in California in 2018 because of infestation and drought. That means there is a threat for a wildfire even when it isn’t the fire season. One of the most effective ways to prevent this issue is to create your own forest fire first. By consuming the dead and dying materials of the forest, it becomes possible to remove the fuel that wants to ignite at a moment’s notice. State officials in CA burned roughly 31 square miles, with clearing crews working in another space of a similar size, to reduce the risk of a 2019 fire season being as bad (or worse) than what 2018 brought.

7. Forest fires can help wildlife return to the forest.
When the forest floor becomes littered with debris, then it can drive some animals away from their natural habitat. The difficulty in moving along the undergrowth causes them to look for alternative options, which can disrupt other sensitive ecosystems that are not used to the presence of the additional wildlife. A forest fire helps to remove the overgrowth that prevents life from happening, allowing the flora and fauna to return in a state that is closer to “normal.”

8. Forest fires can maintain diversity levels in the biome.
Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee, FL, ran an experiment on the local forest biome for over 40 years. They managed a 23-acre space where no burning was permitted during the assigned time. Researchers discovered that plant diversity decreased by 90% over this period. One of the local bird species left the area entirely. Although forest fires can be destructive, this natural process is necessary because it also gives us the opportunity to create life in return. When we take a proactive approach to this solution, the cost of managing the forest biome with fire is roughly $28 per acre, which is much less than alternative forms of management.

List of the Con of Forest Fires

1. Forest fires can be overly destructive in their work.
Although there are many ways for forest fires to be beneficial to the biome, this advantage does not come without significant risk. Climate change is not helping matters either. Forests are dryer for longer periods of time then arguably at any other point in recorded history. Temperatures in the western United States have risen an average of 1.9°F since 1970. Snow is melting up to 4 weeks sooner than in previous decades. Each element described above increases the potential risk of a forest fire growing out of control.

2. Forest fires can burn more than trees.
One of the most significant dangers of a modern forest fire occurs when they are present in an urban-wildland interface. These are the places where homes and developed areas border the forest biome. When this event occurs, it is not just the trees and underbrush with that will begin to burn. Any structures that are in the way could be lost as well. When the 2018 fire that went through Paradise, California, had finally burned out, over 14,000 homes were lost in that town alone.

3. Forest fires can create health problems for people.
When you are around a forest fire, then the smoke from this event can be problematic to your house. One of the first issues that you will encounter is a stinging of the eyes. Breathing in the heated smoke can create respiratory system problems or worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. People with asthma are at a severe risk of experiencing an attack when they are exposed to these conditions. Smoke inhalation can even lead to a heart attack or stroke if enough of it gets into your body. Unless your job requires you to fight the fire, the best way to avoid this particular disadvantage of forest fires is to get away from it.

4. Forest fires can trigger mudslides, landslides, and other forms of erosion.
When hillsides are stripped bare from their vegetation, then it creates the potential for a mudslide or landslide to occur. After the forest fire goes out, precipitation can cause the ash and soil from the event to begin washing downward. In 2017, Santa Barbara County experienced such an event where waist-high mud came down and 35 mph, killing at least 17 people and its wake. Rushing water also picks up debris, rocks, and even vehicles on its way down to create more damage.

5. Forest fires can devastate the ecosystem.
When a forest fire goes out of control, then it has the potential to completely devastate the ecosystem. This outcome can adversely impact the animals, insects, soil, and water in the region. The water may even receive pollution from the smoke and ash, which can harm marine life the biome as well. Without fish, there are fewer food options for animals. This cycle continues until there is either nothing left, the biome starts restoring itself, or everyone leaves because the resources are so few.

6. Forest fires can start on their own.
Although a managed forest fire can create positive results, many of the distractive events we’ve witnessed over the past decades involving this process happened because of a natural event, such as a lightning strike. Most forest fires are caused by lightning. When it strikes a forest that is hot and dry, then the brush or leaves can quickly create a spark that makes the entire event grow out of control before anyone even knows that it is there. Some insurance companies may even decide not to cover losses from such an event because it fits into the “act of God” category.

7. Forest fires are a costly experience, even if they are set for positive reasons.
The estimated cost of the Camp Fire in 2018 was $16.5 billion, making it the most destructive wildfire in the history of the state. It was also the deadliest event of its type since the 1918 Cloquet fire in the U.S. and one of the worst fires ever suffered in world history. Over $4 billion in losses were uninsured. That outcome is only one cost to consider.

Fire prevention measures for this biome also have a cost to consider. Although the goal is to save money now by preventing fires later, California spent over $70 million on clearing, control, and prevention tactics.

8. Forest fires under control can still burn other structures.
Even when every element of control is taken to prevent a forest fire from becoming a wildfire, there is still a risk that it could damage property and structures. Mike De Lasaux, who is a forester at the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, says that the risk of a controlled burn causing this type of damage is less than 2%. A 2000 fire set by U.S. Park Service officials at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico raced through the community of Los Alamos to consume over 400 homes.

9. Forest fires cause old trees to never come back.
When an old-growth forest loses its foundational members, then there is no way for them to return. Future generations then lose the chance to study these older trees, enjoy the biome they create, and the other benefits that such a forest provides. Although some of them may be near the end of their life, a forest fire prematurely terminates what time they would have left. That is why we often try to balance the benefits of fire with its potential disadvantages to avoid this potential outcome.

In Conclusion

After the California wildfires in 2018, President Donald Trump offered this comment about the event. “There is no reason for these massive, deadly, and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,” he said. “billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!”

The pros and cons of forest fires do show that responsible management can create positive results, but it is also possible for a well-managed fire to become out of control quickly. The Camp Fire in 2018 burned over 108,000 acres, and it was only one of several events during the season. By understanding these key points, it is possible to know what to do to support our forests and protect our homes at the same time.