American scientists from Columbia and Stanford universities evaluated the effectiveness of controlled fires in combating uncontrolled flames, which often lead to disastrous consequences. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Science Advances (SciAdv).
Experts conducted the analysis five years after the most devastating fire in California history. In 2018, hot weather and mismanagement of natural areas led to the accumulation of large numbers of dead trees and shrubs in California forests. The abundance of flammable materials led to a large-scale fire disaster.
The study authors were able to measure the reduction in high-intensity fire risk after conducting low-intensity controlled burns in the forest. They found that in mixed and coniferous forests this method reduced the risk of catastrophic fires by 60%. At the same time, the effect of controlled burning of vegetation lasts for six years and gradually decreases from year to year.
According to scientists, the use of controlled fire should become a regular practice to ensure forest fire safety.
Previous scientists offered Fight forest fires with banana tree barriers.