Tropical forests are humid and full of wet material. They don't unusually burn even in dry season. However the tropical forests in Indonesia have experiences great forest fires.

Forest fires in the Australia, Canada, US and Africa occur  naturally and are part of the eco system. Australian Aboriginals are masters of bush fire techniques. The fire cleans out the weeds that block the growth of the trees and revitalizes the forest.

Report by Britta Arendt for the Herald-Review

Friday, April 21, 2006

Itasca County is in the heat of the wildfire season as grass fires are igniting on a daily basis throughout the Northland. Some are even spreading to structures and vehicles, endangering the lives of both residents and fire personnel.

During Fire Prevention Week in Minnesota, April 17-23, the Minnesota Incident Command System is asking that people help reduce the chance for wildfire to start by reporting any unattended fires to their local authorities and abiding open debris burning restrictions. Even with controls over debris burning, this activity accounts for 80 percent of Minnesota wildfires, according to MNICS, a collaborative of agencies including the United States Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MN Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Park Service.
With spring being a time for yard cleanup after a long winter under snow, many people have been busy raking. Although it was often common-place to burn piles of natural debris and garbage many years ago—things have changed since then.
 

Garbage service is now available outside of the city. People have populated the landscape, building homes in the woods and fields of northern Minnesota. And most products are packed in plastics and cellophane that can be toxic when burned.
 

Today, laws prevent people from burning garbage, no matter if it is in a contained barrel or an open pit. Even if a person wants to burn natural yard debris such as leaves, needles or brush, a permit is required. Those permits are only issued for burning during evening hours, when the humidity is up, wind is down, and there is less chance a fire will spread in an unwanted direction. The MNICS encourages people to start a new tradition—instead of lighting a pile out back, make use of yard waste by composting and chipping woody material for use as mulch or landscaping.
 

Throughout the next month, the MNICS expects to report moderate to high fire danger. As temperatures continue to rise and vegetation dries out becoming fuel, firefighters can expect an increase in fire activity. Even after heavy rain, this fuel can be ready to burn within one to two hours. The DNR has issued burn restrictions for most counties throughout the state, including Itasca, beginning Friday, April 14. The remaining counties of Lake, Cook, Koochiching and northern St. Louis were added this Friday, April 21. Special permits for prescribed burning or cleaning of construction sites can still be obtained by going directly to a Department of Natural Resources Forestry office. The extreme fire danger is caused by a combination of low moisture, unseasonably warm weather, low humidity and high winds. Some moisture is expected to move through Minnesota for the next few days, but this will only temporarily lower fire danger.
 

“Although we’ve had some rain recently, fire restrictions will continue until it starts to green-up,” explained Patty Hines, public information officer at the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center.
According to Hines, year-to-date, there have been 1,023 human-caused wildfires and 14,479 acres have burned throughout the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, located in Grand Rapids, dispatches fire personnel to fires all over the United States. Yet, Hines said they are currently concentrating on Minnesota fires, most of which were started by humans.
 

“With spring storms, lightning can be the cause of some fires as well,” added Hines.
With more people living in the wildlands, it has become more important for people to find ways to live safely with fire as it plays an integral part in the natural life cycle of plants and animals. For thousands of years, fire has helped shape the natural world and many species have evolved to be dependent on the disturbances that fire creates. In Minnesota, the jack pine requires heat to melt the waxy coating of its pine cones to allow them to drop their seeds for reproduction and the whitetail deer enjoys the openings created by fires passing through the land. Periodic fires also help to keep the growth of vegetation under control, preventing the build-up of dangerous levels of fuels which lead to fires with extreme fire behavior.
 

When settlement became more intensive in northern Minnesota, the significant impact of wildfires on lives, property and natural resources was thought to be unacceptable. By 1911, resource managers and emergency workers began concentrated efforts on the prevention and suppression of all wildfires, regardless of whether they were caused by natural mean or humans. Over the years, this approach has resulted in a buildup of vegetation that, when combined with the right terrain and weather conditions, leads to wildfires that burn hotter, last longer and spread faster. These fires have become very difficult to manage and can threaten areas of residential development called the wildland/urban interface or WUI.
 

Hines recognizes that many people are out cleaning their yards this time of the year. She cautioned that people should be careful to keep their piles of debris away from their homes and out buildings as well as keep tree branches trimmed back.