Wildfires are the most destructive fires on
earth. Every year huge parts of the world burn out of
control as their fast moving walls of flame incinerate
homes and destroy huge areas of land. We scrutinise the
behaviour of wildfires. Why are wind and a steep slope
such dangerous things to add to a wildfire? What happens
when the flames reach the canopy of a dense forest? We
find out. We also explore how firefighters try to deal
with these infernos. Fires, though destructive, have
always been part of the natural environment and we
reveal how the best way to reduce these hazards might be
to fight fire with fire, literally. We also take a look
the hidden problem of coalfires; fires which burn out of
control underground for hundreds of years. They can
destroy entire communities and could be a major
contributor to global pollution.
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Wildfires are the most destructive fires on
earth. Every year huge parts of the world burn out of
control as their fast moving walls of flame incinerate
homes and destroy huge areas of land. We scrutinise the
behaviour of wildfires. Why are wind and a steep slope
such dangerous things to add to a wildfire? What happens
when the flames reach the canopy of a dense forest? We
find out. We also explore how firefighters try to deal
with these infernos. Fires, though destructive, have
always been part of the natural environment and we
reveal how the best way to reduce these hazards might be
to fight fire with fire, literally. We also take a look
the hidden problem of coalfires; fires which burn out of
control underground for hundreds of years. They can
destroy entire communities and could be a major
contributor to global pollution.