Carelessness behind 95% of bush fires

Today, i would be talking about the article" Carelessness behind 95% of bush fires" from the "home" section of The Straits Times.

This article is about what caused the bush fires here in Singapore.

Blame careless smokers who toss lit cigarette butts into vegetation. Blame those who leave behind lit candles and burnt offerings at makeshift altars. Blame those who decide to cook out in the open using charcoal stoves. They accounted for 95 per cent of the 339 bush fires so far this year.

According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force, this is a "very alarming" situation as there were 182 such fires last month compared to 24 in January last year. Unthinking actions, coupled with the dry season, have resulted in a huge waste of firefighting resources. The remaining 5 per cent of bush fires are caused naturally- when dry grass rub and trigger sparks, leading to spontaneous combustion, or when they are hit by lightning.

The difficulty of putting out a fire depends on the thickness of the vegetation, the gradient of the land and how windy it is. The more an area is covered in vegetation, the more deep-seated is the fire. If it is burning on a hill, that also makes it tougher for firemen, as they have to haul water hoses up the slope. It could take an hour to bring under control a fire that has spread over an area the size of two or three football fields.

When I read this article, I was disappointed. If careless acts like this continues to happen, it may cause a firestorm. For instance, recently, there was a major firestorm in Australia. Many innocent lives and homes were lost as a result. To make matters worst, this bushfire was not caused naturally but by an arsonist. So do not think that throwing a cigarette butt into vegetation is harmless, it might cause serious disasters.

To reslove this problem, the SCDF advises the public to avoid throwing lighted materials, such as cigarette butts and matches, on grass patches and fields. It also warns against dumping trash on vacant land, as this can provide an additional source of fuel in the event of a fire.

In conclusion, do not throw lighted materials like cigarettes into grass patches or fields, as you will give unnecessary trouble for the SCDF and waste its resources.