NEW GROWTH FROM THE ASHES
I’d like to begin this week for thanking the Buncrana Fire Brigade, without whom I would be sitting in a pile of ashes where the house once sat.
Allow me to elaborate. March to June is the prime time for fires in the country and as last week was an exceptionally dry spell made it a very busy time for the fire crew. Dead vegetation sitting on the ground from winter and the fresh breezes coming down the Swilly gave rise to loads of hillside fires, one of which came perilously close to our house.
MY HEROS
It was Saturday morning and we were heading out in the car. At the top of the driveway were three fire engines with fire fighters walking up and down the narrow country lane that takes us to the main road. Noticing a huge plume of smoke on the horizon, I stopped to ask one of the lads what was happening. There was a fire near Stragill on the other side of the hill from us and if the current wind direction stayed the same it posed no real threat to us. We carried on our way in the car not thinking much about it. The wind did change direction though, very quickly.
It was the vigilance and professionalism of the Buncrana Fire Brigade who waited patiently and assessed the situation perfectly. The lads were in the right place to stop the fire from heading down the hill where it would have enveloped our house and also a group of houses further down from us.
We got back from our jaunt in the car to see the hillside had been turned to charcoal and white foam was hanging off the trees in the hedgerow. It took the full crew of the three engines to use their beaters to control the blaze, which came within five yards of our garden. Left to its own devices the fire could have spread to the town. The lads were calm and friendly, taking all of the action in their stride. It must be the fact that they save lives that makes them so collected.
I want to be a fireman when I grow up.
ASSESSING THE SITUATION
I took a walk along the hillside to see the effects of the fire. The ground above us is quite wet and there is a lot of heather growing. Heather is quite a dry wood so that has been hit hard, although the roots are unaffected. The dead bracken and grass has all gone up in smoke leaving a fine black dust on the ground. Grassland fires like the one we had here tend to burn more readily than forest and shrub ecosystems. The fire moves through the stems and leaves of herbaceous plants only lightly heating the underlying soil even in cases of high intensity. In most grassland ecosystems, fire is the primary mode of decomposition as the resulting ash adds nutrition to the soil.
MAKING THE MOST OF IT
There have always been fires, even before us humans came along, and there can be beneficial effects rising from this. Fire reduces the build up of dead and decaying leaves, wood and needles that accumulate on a forest floor or grassland. It reduces or eliminates the overhead forest canopy, increasing the sunlight that stimulates new growth from seeds and roots. Some plants and trees such as the eucalyptus we have growing ten feet from where the fire stopped, have leaves coated in flammable oils that help to create an intense fire. The heat will cause their fire-activated seeds to germinate and capitalise on the lack of competition in the burnt landscape.
Other plants have smoke-activated seeds as well. Serotinous cones of Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) are sealed with resin until fire melts it away and releases the seeds onto the ground. Many plant species, including shade-intolerant giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), require fire to make light gaps in the vegetation canopy. This allows their new seedlings to compete with more shade-tolerant seedlings of other species and establish themselves in a process known as “recruitment”.
WILDLIFE
Like plants, animals can cope, but they must avoid the actual fire to survive. Though birds are vulnerable when nesting, they are generally able to escape the fire and can often profit off prey items fleeing from the fire. They also can recolonise burned areas quickly because of their high mobility. Mammals are also often capable of either fleeing the fire or seeking cover while it passes and then recolonising quickly. Amphibians and reptiles may avoid flames by burrowing into the ground or using the burrows of other animals. Amphibians in particular are able to take refuge in water or very wet mud.
PREVENTION
Fires on the land become increasingly dangerous as they head for homes. Because of our built environment where houses are placed randomly in the countryside there is always a possibility of a fire heading towards people. The Forestry Protection Guidelines from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has some sound advice on how to prevent fires from starting and also suggests developing a Fire Plan if you have vulnerable land. The Fire Plan consists of access points to the land, water pipes and the introduction of fire break areas to control a blaze. Good neighbourly relations and vigilance is also a key factor to keep the fires at bay once they have started.
RAISED AWARENESS
According to the guidelines, the likelihood of a fire starting spontaneously in Ireland is pretty rare. Raising the awareness of just how easily a fire can start is a key issue with the Department. Fire risk increases with the presence of people who are likely to be careless with fire and who do not appreciate the flammability of vegetation. The fire that came to our house was reportedly started by a farmer clearing reeds from a field. Thinking before lighting any fires or throwing cigarette butts on the floor will spare the fire crews from risking their lives to save our homes.
