Wildfire Management

Forest restoration in Oregon

What are Wildfires?

[1] Interactive: Oregon Wildfire Tracker Map :: The Oregonian | OregonLive.com

Wildfires are large, dangerous fire that is unplanned and spreads quickly over vegetation. Wildfires can take place in wild-lands; forests, grasslands, and global regions. Data shown [1 Oregon Live: Wildfire Tracker] shows the wildfires currently happening in Oregons areas, this is updated every 15 minutes in real time.

When Do Wildfires Occur?

[2] Global Forest Watch Interactive Map Oregon

This interactive map above [2] shows this years Wildfires in Oregon and how they compare to past years. Notice how they occur in late June during the more dry seasons like summer transitioning to fall.

How Do Wildfires Start?

Humans and Wildfire

According to [3] National Park Services, "Nearly 85 percent* of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson."

Natural Causes of Wildfires

Natural causes of wildfires can be from many things but we mainly see them being caused by lighting produced from the sky that hits the ground for long periods of time that produce the fire when mixed with dry vegetation [3].

[4] National Academies Press: Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke

Who Can Be Effected by These Wildfires?

Wildfires can affect the surrounding communities, biodiversity, species, health and homes of those around. In the picture on the right [4 National Academies Press: Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke] gives us insight on how the amount of wildfire smoke put into the body affects our health.

Habitat loss and health conditions of species in the areas is huge when it comes to Wildfires. A statement in an article from [5] Think Wild: How do Wildfires and Poor Air Quality Affect Oregon Wildlife? states that animals can have "dehydration, heat exhaustion, general disorientation, and respiratory issues."

Sustainable Development Goals

There are many Sustainable Development Goals that connect to Wildfires, such as #3 Good Health and Wellbeing, because wildfires decrease the good health and wellbeing of those impacted by it. #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, wildfires effect the water sources if debris gets into any water sources nearby. Finally, #13 Climate Action, due to the increase in climate temperature near the areas effected and the carbon that gets admitted into the air to affect air quality.

Sustainability Evaluation

The triple bottom line, which refers to economic, environmental and social impacts of any given firm or business. Environmentally, the impacts of wildfires are long-term damage that can be severe for the ecosystems and biodiversity. Oregons climate causes a lot of these wildfires in the dryer seasons which can lead to rising temperatures and the downfall of forests nearby. Wildfires can impact the air quality, water quality, soil quality, and climate. According to World Health Organization, "Wildfire smoke is a mixture of hazardous air pollutants such as PM2.5, NO2, ozone, aromatic hydrocarbons, or lead." Which pollutes the air making it harder for people or species to live in these conditions for long periods of time. However, it also effects the climate because wildfires are "releasing large quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere" [6, World Health Organization] causing the temperature of the climate to increase. Finally, the water quality is threatened when it comes to wildfires, due to rainstorms happening afterward. This is because, "runoff that erodes ash and soil from burned landscapes and dramatically elevates turbidity, nutrient, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels in surface waters" [7, USDA].

Social impacts include the loss of housing for families, air quality becomes unable to breath in, and water quality is not acceptable to drink. More social impacts talked about by Climate Adapt says "blocked roads and railway lines, electricity, mobile and land telephones lines cut, destruction of homes and industries, and the way of life of many communities are annual news stories and the balance of the catastrophe caused by fire results in a wealth of articles, editorials and communications" [8, Climate Adapt].

[9, Economic Impact from Wildfires in Southeast Oregon]

Economic impacts include losses of lives that are involved in wildfires, property damage made and a decrease in wood resources. The image to the right [9, Research Gate] shows the impact of other losses from wildfires and the cost in millions for the reproduction of them.

[10, National Park Services impacts of wildfires]

Above are common words or phrases I am compiled from some sources throughout this story-map. Some of the bigger words, wildfire and forest make sense because they are the most looked up words for this story-map. The words that pop up the most that make the most sense is soil, changes and water. These three key words relate to the environmental impact this issue has on the world. Social issues like the news, climate, multimedia are found in this word cloud. Words like post-fire, service, severity are all economic issues that connect with the destruction of places after wildfires. The articles I used were about the aftermath of wildfires and what they do to the land which shows through this word cloud.

Sources for Word Cloud:

U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Wildfire causes and evaluations (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

How do wildfires and poor air quality affect Oregon Wildlife?. Think Wild – Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center. (n.d.). https://www.thinkwildco.org/wildfire-2024/#:~:text=Fortunately%2C%20Oregon’s%20native%20species%20are,structure%20for%20years%20to%20come.

Hohner, A. K., Rhoades, C. C., Wilkerson, P., & Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. (1970, January 1). Wildfires alter forest watersheds and threaten drinking water quality. US Forest Service Research and Development. https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/58606#:~:text=High%20intensity%20postfire%20rainstorms%20typically,term%20challenges%20for%20water%20providers.

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Wildfires. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/wildfires#tab=tab_1

[11, WSU Insider]

There were many different infographics that described many different issues with wildfires. This one stood out to me the most due to the fact it talks specifically about forest fires like one of the words in my word cloud. This infographic talks about the PWN which is the main topic of this issue, Oregon fires. The thing I enjoyed most about this was the data given and ways people can share the knowledge of forest fires. This infographic was made by Washington State University Insider, also known as the Department of Natural Resources at WSU.

Key Sustainability Performance Indicators

#1: Air Quality Impact Index: Measures matter and smoke concentrations in the air during wildfires. To assess the impact on health and the environment at large.

#2: Wildfire Recovery Rate: Measures how fast the recovery begins after a wildfire, regrowth of vegetation, soil health and reconstruction of habitats.

#3: Community Evacuation Time: Measures the allotted time it takes to evacuate communities effected from wildfire. Starting from when the wildfire begins to the end of evacuation.

#4: Fire Suppression Costs: This measures the cost to get rid and slow down the wildfires once they begin. Including the resources needed, like equipment etc.

#5: Forest Land Under Precautionary Management: Measures the areas being managed currently for fire precaution. Forest management techniques including, reforestation, thinning, and burning.

Sustainability Certification Program:

Forest Stewardship Council Certification: Wood and paper products come from properly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. This relates to Wildfires due to the damage they can cause toward the production of paper and wood products.

How does the FSC certification system work?

Conclusion and Recommendations

Wildfires are challenging and highly dangerous due to many factors; climate change, forest health issues, the speed in which they spread, and the amount of issues that cause them. When it comes to wildfires there are still many hurdles to overcome and ways to prevent and be prepared if your areas may be effected. Learning more about the effects and risks with wildfires can help you become more prepared. Below are key actions that help ensure a more sustainable future for Oregon's forests.

[12: The Honest Broker Picture]

You're next steps matter for the better of Oregon's forests, communities, and the future. Here are some ideas to spread the word and create a safer environment for our future generations:

Key Actions:

  1. Donate to wildfire relief funds: American Red Cross partnered with KGW8 to prepare, respond and help those effected by wildfires in Oregon and Washington.  https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/kgwmediagroup-pub.html/ 
  2. Donating supplies to evacuees, such as bandaids, tents, packaged food, etc to areas near you.
  3. Help spread the message through social media platforms
  4. Get involved in collaborative fire management efforts in your area: Ex: Smokey Bear, Wildfire Prevention Campaign:  https://smokeybear.com/en/smokeys-history/about-the-campaign#:~:text=Created%20in%201944%2C%20the%20Smokey,their%20role%20in%20preventing%20wildfires. 
  5. Educate your community about creating fire-safe homes, and evacuation points in your area

References:

[1]: Interactive: Oregon wildfire tracker map :: The Oregonian. OregonLive.com. (n.d.). https://projects.oregonlive.com/wildfires/map

[2]: Vizzuality. (n.d.). Oregon, United States deforestation rates & statistics: GFW. Forest Monitoring, Land Use & Deforestation Trends. https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/USA/38/?category=fires

[3]: U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Wildfire causes and evaluations (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm

[4]: Read “implications of the California wildfires for Health, communities, and preparedness: Proceedings of a workshop” at nap.edu. 4 Effects of Wildfires on Human Health | Implications of the California Wildfires for Health, Communities, and Preparedness: Proceedings of a Workshop | The National Academies Press. (n.d.). https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25622/chapter/5

[5]: How do wildfires and poor air quality affect Oregon Wildlife?. Think Wild – Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center. (n.d.). https://www.thinkwildco.org/wildfire-2024/#:~:text=Fortunately%2C%20Oregon’s%20native%20species%20are,structure%20for%20years%20to%20come.

[6]: World Health Organization. (n.d.). Wildfires. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/wildfires#tab=tab_1

[7]: Hohner, A. K., Rhoades, C. C., Wilkerson, P., & Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. (1970, January 1). Wildfires alter forest watersheds and threaten drinking water quality. US Forest Service Research and Development. https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/58606#:~:text=High%20intensity%20postfire%20rainstorms%20typically,term%20challenges%20for%20water%20providers.

[8]: Social impact of large-scale forest fires. Climate. (n.d.). https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/metadata/publications/social-impact-of-large-scale-forest-fires#:~:text=Blocked%20roads%20and%20railway%20lines,of%20articles%2C%20editorials%20and%20communications.

[10]: U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.-b). Wildland fires could be putting your drinking water at risk (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/wildland-fires-could-be-putting-your-drinking-water-at-risk.htm

[11]: Infographic: Bracing for the blaze | WSU insider | Washington State University. (n.d.). https://news.wsu.edu/bracing-for-the-blaze-infographic/

[12]: Jr., R. P. (2023, June 8). What the media won’t tell you about ... wildfires. What the media won’t tell you about ... Wildfires. https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/what-the-media-wont-tell-you-about-783

[4] National Academies Press: Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke

[9, Economic Impact from Wildfires in Southeast Oregon]

[10, National Park Services impacts of wildfires]

[11, WSU Insider]

[12: The Honest Broker Picture]