Imagine a bird; flitting about the forest, happily chirping and looking for food.  Then all of a sudden, a heat overtakes that cute little bird.  The bird is charred, dead.  This is an example of one of the many negative effects of wildfires.  In many places around the world, wildfires devastate natural ecosystems, hurting animals and plants, and can even reach towns and cities where the fires will burn down homes, shops, and dreams.  Many people believe that wildfires cleanse an ecosystem, giving it more space to grow and a fresh start.  While that is a benefit, is that really worth all the devastation to, not only, the animals, but the environment?  Although people advocate that wildfires are beneficial, the majority of the effects on the ecosystem are detrimental to the environment.

To begin, the preponderance of wildfire effects are negative on the ecosystem and the surrounding environment.  The ecosystem is disrupted after a wildfire in multiple ways.  “After the loss of vegetation, the ground’s soil becomes hydrophobic and prevents the absorption of water. This inability to absorb water promotes the transportation of debris and sediment into larger  bodies of water, further polluting valuable and essential resources. Post-fire flash floods become a threat and allow the introduction of heavy metals from ash and soil to infiltrate waterways. Filtering these water sources can be costly as well as time consuming” (Untamed Science).  This quote shows all the adverse effects of a forest fire and as a result, one can see all the work that has to be done to fix the damaged environment.  Not only are there effects right after a forest fire occurs, there are also long-lasting drawbacks to the ecosystem.  “Depending on the temperature and time of year a wildfire occurs, vegetation can be significantly impacted. Plants on the forest floor or smaller trees are often destroyed by wildfires, while larger trees are able to survive as long as the fire does not spread into the tree canopy. The flames from these fires destroy the food source and homes of many animals, threatening their survival. For plants and trees that can survive the flames, they are susceptible to disease, fungus, and insects due to their decreased resistance following burn injuries. Wildfires have both immediate and long-term impacts on air quality. As a forest burns, large amounts of smoke are released into the atmosphere. These smoke particles are typically small and made up of gases and water vapor. Air pollution from fires have the potential to travel great distances and oftentimes may pose a threat to human health. These small particles can become lodged deep within our lungs, making it difficult to breath as well as placing additional stress on our hearts. Additionally, wildfires produce an increased amount of carbon monoxide, which too can lead to  a variety of health implications. Buildings and homes that lie within the path of a wildfire are destroyed, exposing hazardous materials that pose a threat on human health for first responders and during the clean up process. Older homes built before the 1970’s often contain a mineral called asbestos. Once asbestos is disturbed, the fibers become airborne and when inhaled can lead to the development of pleural mesothelioma in the lining of the lungs” (Untamed Science).  This depicts all the detrimental consequences immediately after and long after the fire.  To sum up, the consequences on the environment from a wildfire are destructive, and generally wound the ecosystem for a long time afterwards.

In addition, some forest fires aren’t naturally caused and can take much longer to put out.  While the majority of wildfires used to be naturally caused, nowadays the majority of forest fires are the result of peoples negligence.  “On a hot day, drought conditions peak and something as small as a spark has the potential to create a large wildfire with devastating consequences. Although fire can occur naturally from the sun or a lightning strike, most wildfires are started by human carelessness. Unextinguished campfires, lit cigarette butts, improperly burned debris, and arson are responsible for 84% of wildfires started. Man-made wildfires have tripled the fire season from 46 days to 154 days with a staggering cost of $2 billion” (Untamed Science).  This quote proves that the main reason for these blazing devastations is human recklessness.  The inattentiveness in humans has a distressing outcome.  “Once considered a natural phenomenon sparked by lighting, wildfires are now being recognized as the result of human error…Wildfires can have  immediate and long term effects on the quality of rivers, lakes, and streams. The most noticeable impact of wildfires is stormwater runoff. After the loss of vegetation, the ground’s soil becomes hydrophobic and prevents the absorption of water. This inability to absorb water promotes the transportation of debris and sediment into larger  bodies of water, further polluting valuable and essential resources. Post-fire flash floods become a threat and allow the introduction of heavy metals from ash and soil to infiltrate waterways” (Untamed Science).  This shows how horribly the environment is affected, and that all the aftermath could be avoided more often if people paid attention.  In closing, fire prevention isn’t a hard task and it can prevent all the unfortunate repercussions of wildfires, and the fires themselves.

While there are many negative effects from forest fires on the environment, some believe that the beneficial effects outweigh the reverberations of a wildfire.  A wildfire can allow for new animals to come and new plants to grow.  “New grasslands are sometimes created after a fire, and there are many species of grazing animals that can benefit from the change. The natural order of species within the food chain adapts and re-establishes to the changed ecology. Life goes on” (Eartheasy.com).  This quote reveals how the results of a wildfire aren’t always negative.  The only benefits of a wildfire are to the environment.  All the animals and their habitats, as well as humans and their homes, are not positively impacted by a wildfire.  Furthermore, a wildfire won’t always cause a renewal in the environment; in some cases an area may not be able to grow for a long period of time afterwards.  In summation, the benefits of wildfires should not be ignored, but it is clear that the negative effects on the ecosystem and environment after a wildfire outweigh the beneficial ones.

To finish, no matter how horrible the effects of wildfires, the environment and ecosystem will eventually return.  However, many wildfires can be prevented.  By checking if your campfire or cigarette is out you can prevent a disaster from occurring, and save many animal and plant lives.  Forest fires are damaging the environment, and even though you can’t prevent all of them, you can do your part in wildfire aversion.