2023-07-06 06:59:33
What are the factors that promote the spread of forest fires?
The very influential factors on the behavior of vegetation fires and smoke are:
The terrainin particular the topography and land use, meteorology : wind regimes and temperature inversion.
Fine particles from fires can be transported over long distances of up to several hundred kilometres.
What’s in smoke from wildfires?
The composition of the fumes varies according to the type of vegetation, the humidity, the combustion conditions or even the distance from the source.
In areas impacted by smoke from forest fires, suspended particles are the most important air pollutant. About 80% are fine particles, a majority of which are submicron particles whose size is less than one micron. Intense fires also generate so-called giant ash particles.
The carbon monoxide is also one of the major pollutants generated by vegetation fires.
Are also listed in the composition of the smoke of very many other chemicals including carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds including acrolein, formaldehyde and benzene, semi-volatile compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Some pollutants generated by vegetation fires can be deposited, distributed and undergo chemical modifications that are sources of soil contamination and impacts on water resources.
What are the health effects of fires and smoke?
Short-term inhalation of fumes causes respiratory effects such as respiratory symptoms of irritation. It can lead to emergency room visits or hospitalizations for respiratory diseases such as asthma or other chronic lung diseases or even cause changes in lung function.
To these respiratory effects, we can add cardiovascular effects related to smoke from vegetation fires.
Are there populations more affected by smoke from forest fires?
THE firefighters are the population most affected by the health effects of fires. They are indeed confronted with dangerous fumes of smoke:
directly during the fire attack phases, indirectly when the fire is extinguished during the surveillance, investigation, clearing phases and including during the return to the barracks, by the contamination of equipment, material or vehicles, by soot and extinguishing water.
In addition, populations with chronic respiratory pathologies, including asthmaticsare particularly susceptible to smoke from forest fires as well as people with cardiovascular disease.
What to do if you live in an area exposed to these fumes?
For everyonein non-evacuated areas where smoke plumes from forest fires reach, it is recommended to:
limit movement and time spent outside, keep doors and windows closed and only ventilate when conditions permit, block vents with damp cloths, stop controlled mechanical ventilation (VMC) during smoke episodes ,avoid outdoor physical activities in the area,ensure the air quality inside your home by avoiding incense, candles, etc.,closely monitor sensitive people.
For sensitive peoplenamely people with a respiratory history such as asthma, chronic respiratory failure or other respiratory or cardiovascular pathologies:
In case of direct exposure to fumes, wear a filter mask (FFP2 type), In the event of the appearance of symptoms or respiratory discomfort, contact a general practitioner, and failing that, depending on the intensity of the symptoms or respiratory discomfort, contact 15.
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