Although all fires have the potential to be harmful to health and well-being, people have been burning forests for thousands of years for many reasons, but, today, wildfires are widely used to promote environmental health and protect large and uncontrolled fires.
Wildfire is a natural phenomenon, and nature has evolved by its very existence. Many species benefit from occasional wildfires as they remove dead organisms; some plants and animals need the benefits of wildfires to survive and reproduce. Layers of decaying plants, if left unattended to, can build up.
The problem is that this buildup can prevent soil organisms from reaching the nutrients or preventing terrestrial animals from entering the soil. This coverage of dead organisms can also slow down the growth of young or new plants. A wildfire is an efficient way to get rid of those bothersome layers at regular intervals.
Even some animals depend on wildfires for survival. Wild lupine needs fire to maintain a natural balance in which it can thrive. Without wildfires, lupines do not thrive, and caterpillars cannot eat enough to metamorphose into butterflies.
Perhaps surprisingly, animals often survive wildfires as they have the ability to flee to safer areas.
Understanding, appreciating, and managing the benefits of wildfires is the only way to keep our homes, population, and the environment safe from decay and extinction.