Fear of wildfire Somewhere today ... February 26, 19:25
The wildfire that broke out in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, spread a vast forest despite hard fire fighting activities.
There is a lot of damage.
An average of three or more such wildfires occur nationwide each day, which is a familiar fear for us.
We will approach the reality and danger of wildfires.
(Reporter, Network News Department, Yoko Idegami / Kayoko Tamaki / Hokuto Takasugi)
Wildfire spreading
The wildfire that broke out in Ashikaga City on the 21st of this month continued to spread as the air dried, and the fire was approaching the residential area.
As of 3:00 pm on the 26th, the fifth day after the outbreak, more than 100 hectares were burnt.
The area is more than 20 Tokyo Domes.
In addition to from the ground, the Self-Defense Forces are conducting firefighting activities from the sky with a helicopter, but it is difficult.
A wooden shrine in the mountains was burned down, and houses were in danger. By the 26th, more than 300 households had been advised to evacuate.
Difficult "fire fighting"
Around the same time as the wildfires broke out in Ashikaga, wildfires broke out in various places such as Ome, Tokyo, Kiryu, Gunma, and Tobe, Ehime.
Unlike residential fires in urban areas, these wildfires often have difficulty extinguishing because they have poor access to fire hydrants and fire prevention water tanks, and the means of extinguishing fires from the ground are limited.
Water cannons from the sky can also spread in strong winds, weakening the effect of extinguishing the fire directly, making it difficult to extinguish the fire immediately.
Wildfire overseas
Many people may think of overseas cases when it comes to large-scale wildfires.
In the western United States, wildfires have occurred one after another in various places such as California and Oregon since last summer.
In California, the lost area is about 1.45 million hectares, which is about seven times that of Tokyo, and it is said to be the worst scale in history.
At least 36 people have died, and many have been late to escape to the impending fire.
Even in Australia, forest fires have occurred one after another, mainly in the southeastern part, due to the dry air.
Wildlife koalas were also sacrificed, and wildfires had a tremendous impact on the natural environment.
3 or more cases occur every day
According to the Forestry Agency, 1391 wildfires broke out all over Japan.
The average for the past 5 years is about 1200.
It is calculated that three or more wildfires occur every day somewhere in the country, and it turns out that it is not a single thing.
The cause of the fire is ...
Let's look at the cause of a forest fire.
▽ "Bonfire" was the most with 373 cases, 30.2% of the total,
followed by
▽ "Bonfire"
such as open burning was 216 cases, 17.5%,
▽ "Arson" including suspicion was 104 cases, 8.4%,
▽ "Tobacco" was 63
cases
The number of cases is 5.1%, and
more than 60
% of the
total is artificial.
Characteristic also in the time of occurrence
70% of all wildfires occur from January to May.
It is said that this is due to the fact that dead leaves are piled up in the mountains during this period, making it easy to burn, and also due to the combination of natural conditions such as strong winds and dry air.
In addition, as more people enter the mountains for edible wild plants and hiking in the spring, the risk of mismanagement of tobacco fire increases.
When I took my eyes off ...
With so many artificial wildfires, we must be careful not to become a party.
There was also a post on SNS that when I was using fire outdoors, the fire unintentionally spread and I was in danger.
"When I burned it in the
open,
it burned a lot when I took my eyes off."
"The fire spread to the field and I was impatient."
"When I burned it in my mother's parents' house, it started to catch fire. The fire is difficult."
Hiyari at the camp
Camping is also gaining popularity due to this corona sickness, but Hiroto Takahashi of the Japan Camping Association also had a chilling experience with an outdoor fire before.
At midnight on the day of the camp, the fire gradually spread and the flames rose in the pile of charcoal that was abandoned in the charcoal dump.
The people who were there did a bucket relay to extinguish the fire, and although it didn't matter, he said he was chilled.
After cooking in the evening, the cause was that the charcoal that was not completely extinguished was dumped in the charcoal dump.
When I thought that the charcoal was extinguished and threw it away, it wasn't completely extinguished, and it was burning with melamella 5 hours later.
Originally, there was a danger even in the charcoal dump where it should be dumped.
He reconfirmed that he had to confirm the fire extinguishing.
Mr. Hiroto Takahashi, Japan Camp Association
"Although the charcoal dump was surrounded by bricks, it was almost a fire if a nearby standing tree ignited. The charcoal produces heat even if it looks like it is not
lit.
I will continue. It is important to put it in a bucket of water and watch it disappear completely. Especially in the dry season, please be careful when using fire. "
It goes without saying that you should not throw away cigarettes, but when using fire outdoors, follow the rules set by local governments, make sure that there are no strong winds or flammable materials around you, and be prepared to extinguish the fire. Is important.
Wildfire loss is great
Forests are a valuable resource that absorbs carbon dioxide, a major cause of global warming, and supplies oxygen.
However, once it is burned down by a forest fire, it takes many years and a lot of effort to recover it.
In addition, forests damaged by fire lose their water holding capacity, which may lead to major damage due to natural disasters such as landslides during heavy rains.
Wildfires cause great damage not only when they occur, but also afterwards.
Each one should be careful
The Forestry Agency and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency carry out the "National Wildfire Prevention Campaign" for a week from March 1st, when there are the most wildfires every year, and call for caution in handling fires.
Forestry Agency representative
"Most of the wildfires are caused by our carelessness. It also means that if each person handles the fire carefully, it can be prevented. Because it does not cause great damage, To protect your precious resources, when using fire outdoors, follow the basic precautions such as preparing water for fire extinguishing and staying on the spot. "
Wildfires are very difficult to extinguish once they have spread.
If you have to use the fire outdoors, be sure to check the surrounding conditions and handle the fire carefully.