ELi5: What causes wildfires and why are they so difficult to put out?

Question

Is there a way we can prevent them from occurring in the first place, or is it inevitable during the summer months?

In: 29

Answer 1

Wildfires are pretty much inevitable; the real problem is *human-caused* wildfires.

The only way to prevent those is through PR campaigns, park regulations and fire bans. And even then, people don’t always listen.

What you can do to prevent a lot of the damage is to be mindful of burning regulations; put the fire out *completely* (the ashes should be cold to the touch) before you leave your campsite; and just…don’t smoke in a forest.

Sadly, a large portion of human-caused wildfires occur when idiots toss their cigarette butts in the grass.