Topic ExplanationNatural fires occur in many places in the United States and can occur every day. These fires mainly occur in the west. Some of my relatives live there and could be in danger near the fires. Even though there is much less chance of a fire breaking out in Maryland, people would still be affected if a single natural fire breaks out. These effects can be costly for the population and can even have a long-term effect. For example, the fire could increase the risk of flooding, debris flows and landslides; smoke and other emissions from the fire contain pollutants that can cause health problems; destruction of wildlife habitats and our communities (“Wildfire Hazards – a national threat”, 2006). Nationally, the same effects could occur with every wildfire and the government spends billions of dollars to stop wildfires (“Wildfire Hazards – a national threat,” 2006). When spending billions of dollars, the government can go into debt, which is not the right way to go. On a global scale, all of these things are the result of natural fires in every country. Fires must be stopped so that the habitats of people and wildlife are not endangered. DescriptionNatural fires are generally uncontrollable fires and can be fueled by weather, wind and dry brush. Plus, they can burn acres and acres of land at a time. Wildfires destroy 4 to 5 million acres per year in the United States alone. They can move at speeds of 14 miles per hour, which would imply the destruction they can produce. They can consume anything, such as trees, brush, houses, and sometimes humans (“Wildfires,” n.d.). The grizzly bear is an animal that is affected by the consequences of fire, both positively and negatively...... middle of paper ...... in the fire. Charcoal is able to counteract some nutrient and water loss thanks to its absorption properties. Overall, soils become more basic (higher pH) following fires due to acidic combustion. By causing new chemical reactions at high temperatures, fire can even alter the texture and structure of soils by affecting the clay content and porosity of the soil.Works CitedData releases. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.landfire.gov/datareleases.php Wild fire risks: a national threat. (2006, February). Retrieved from http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3015/2006-3015.pdf http://www.coloradofirecamp.com/congressional_research/forest-fire-wildfire-effects.htm http://wildland- fires.findthedata.org/ http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/wildfire&bears.pdf