Wildfires

A wildfire is the burning of a large wooded area. An example is the Australian bush, which combusts about every year. Some trees such as the Australian eucalyptus and the redwoods of California can survive a forest fire, just as many grasses can survive a grass fire. But unless animals flee, or take shelter, their chances of survival are slim. Bushfires in Australia can move with incredible speed. In half an hour they can destroy as much as 1,000 acres of forest.

Some wildfires are caused by human carelessness, such as a lit cigarette being tossed out a window or arson. Others are caused by spontaneous combustion or the sun. The flash point of wood (the temperature where it will spontaneously combust) is 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius).

For fire you need fuel, oxygen, and heat. All these are present in a wildfire.

There are many examples of wildfires. Most notable are the California wildfires of last summer.