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Cristian Gonzalez

Mrs. Angulo

AP English Language Composition

9 December 2016

The Fight Against Preservation

According to Wildfire Today News, the average amount of acres being burned has risen

from about 2 million acres each year to nearly 8 million. Many people have had their homes

taken away, leaving them stranded with nowhere to turn for help. These fires are wild and can

not be controlled as easy as many people think. Once they start, they do not stop until everything

in their path has been turned to ashes and destroyed. Even though many argue about the

necessary need of burning habitats, this type of event should never take place because of how it

leaves everything and everyone around it. Although there are some proven benefits of letting

forest fires burn in a controlled state, no one can argue or deny that forest fires are unbalanced

causing many catastrophic events, including injuries and deaths, loss of homes and habitats, and

a rapid increase in fire rates.

A forest fire is a large wildfire that takes an extensive amount of time to extinguish

completely. These fires could result in massive destruction and destroying everything in their

path. The number of forest fires vary from year to year, however, in recent years the numbers

have been rapidly increasing. The uncontrolled havoc of forest fires and preventing them has

been a leading controversial topic for decades. The topic of forest fires is described as crazy and

hectic, many think that this should be prevented at all cost, to protect everyone's wellbeing. In

recent years, forest fires have caused up to 9 million acres of burned land, which are most

commonly caused by humans, both accidentally or deliberately. What commonly causes the
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forest fires are campfires, fireworks, cigarettes, and yard waste burning? These fires could easily

be avoided if everyone complied with all local laws and rules by only using controlled locations

for burning and by not burning anything unusual or explodable. Many people in today's society

live in areas where fires commonly take place. The forest fires are becoming more intense and

frequent because of the fuel like underbrush which many areas have to offer. Many societies

today have put together teams of people that will help prevent these fires from taking place in

their homes.

Some groups have argued that burning forests is beneficial because it helps keep it out of

danger. They think controlled fires are the best way to keep forests safe. This allows them to

control the size of the forest, including where it starts and ends. This is done to make room for

communities and other social groups that are looking for a spot to settle. One place that uses

forest fires to their advantage is the Daniel Boone National Forest uses controlled burning and

mechanical treatments ("Daniel Boone National Forest - Alerts & Notices) this is for their

advantage. Overall forest fires have some benefits under certain scenarios, where they are being

closely watched. Although there is a slight benefit to letting forest fires happen in humane

controlled ways, there is also data that shows how dangerous fires are and how quickly they can

get out of control. Likewise, many of the aspects of controlled forest fires have not been yet

looked at or even recognized. These controlled fires and their dangers can cause a lot of serious

damage to the forest and the things that live in it or around it.

No one can argue that forest fires are an uncontrolled and dangerous event that cause

many injuries and deaths. In October 2007, severe wildfires spread all over southern California.

The destructive fires burned for over a month and required the combined efforts of over 6,000

firefighters. By the time the fires were controlled, they had killed 14 people, injured 85,
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destroyed 1,500 buildings, burned 500,000 acres of land, and forced over 1,000,000 people to

evacuate their homes(Forest Fire Prevention). These fires have caused unnecessary deaths

and injuries that could have been easily prevented. Many articles go in depth on how dangerous

forest fires can be. They show how much land has been damaged by them in the past years and

how many peoples lives were ruined and killed in the process. They thoroughly explain that

every year there are more than 75,000 wildfires reported in the United States and that these fires

burn up to more than 7,000 acres a year destroying land and homes. There is clearly extensive

evidence that shows the dangers of forest fires and why they should be prevented.

Forests aren't just important to humans, they play a crucial part in providing homes for

plants and animals. As stated in Why Forest Need to Burn. A forest ecosystem consists of

plants; animals; microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi; and the physical environment,

which includes rocks, soil, and water. Forests are biologically diverse, providing homes for

hundreds of species, from those hidden in the soil to ones living in the tops of the tallest trees.

The time span of forest life ranges from the brief lives of beetles and butterflies to the long lives

of trees, such as the giant sequoia and bristlecone pine, which can live for thousands of years.

Diversity within this perspective of forests really shows how they provide homes for more than

one species, it allows you to see how many things really live and thrive in forests to use it for

their benefit. Without forests, all of these different types of species wouldn't have a home and

would eventually become endangered or extinct. This extreme effect could cause many changes

because each species has its own specific role to play, one dependent on another, providing a

reason for preservation of forests. The preservation of forest is not just to benefit humans, but

also the animals that rely on them for survival. Allowing a wildfire to go through and destroy

the homes of thousands would be inhumane and unjustly.

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Fighting for forest fire prevention is essential while the rates of fires is still stoppable.

Data shows that as the years go by there is an increase in fire rate. The longer it takes for action

to take place the higher the fire rates will grow and the harder it will be to stop them. The rapid

increase in the prevalence and intensity of wildfires in recent years follows centuries of growing

human influence on forests (Worland). Stopping these fires as quickly as possible and

preserving all the natural resources that come from forests is very crucial. By preventing the fires

there will be no need to grow the forest back and it will be an easier task than having to rebuild.

The fight against preserving forest is very urgent while there's still time. Taking advantage of the

human influences that people have over forest can be a game changer to make everything so

much easier and simple. Saving forests does not only protect people and their loved ones, it also

protects all organisms that feed off of it for survival.

Despite the claims of others, forest fires are treacherous causing irreversible effects. The

fire rate increase, the loss of homes and the large quantities of injuries and deaths could all be

prevented if people took action in impeding forest fires. Forest fires are not something to be

taken lightly because of their uncontrollable state. It is time for everyone to take part and make a

difference in forest preservation, by taking active control in cleaning them up and making them a

better and safer place for all. Burning forests is not the right solution in preserving life because

after all, there is substantial evidence that forest fires are detrimental to hundreds of thousands of

living organisms. It is clear that these fires should not be manipulated by individuals by any

means for the safety and preservation of our ecosystem.

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Works Cited

"Daniel Boone National Forest - Alerts & Notices." Daniel Boone National Forest - Alerts &

Notices. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

"Forest Fire Prevention." West Bend. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

"Why Forests Need to Burn." World Book Science Year. 2009. eLibrary. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.

Worland, Justin. "Why We Haven't Been Able to Stop Wildfires." Time. Time, 6 May 2016. Web.

27 Oct. 2016.