Curious about fires

[Hope McQuiston]

How come so many fires? I realized it it is the height of dry season, but what causes these fires?We have no lightening, so how do they start?

[MAC REPS]

"Controlled" burns are just that, until it is out of control and you end up with wild fires.

In mountainous regions like here in Panama, USA, Mexico, where the wind is strong

and steady, an ignition source can have devastating effects as in the western U.S. where

tall grasses and tinder dry undergrowth provide for square miles of charred lands which

in turn leads to erosion in heavy rains.  Also, the particulate generated by these large fires

affects air quality for hundreds of miles down wind.  I have witnessed these smoke episodes

from fires a hundred miles away that looked like fog was rolling into the area on a sunny day.

After the wind direction changed it dissipated and was a clear day again.  When smoke

mixes with fog it can become very dangerous to drivers who don't slow down.

[MAC REPS]

K-man,  is that supposed to be IMHO? (in my honest opinion)

[Jim Tosch]

Marion, your problem is you never get intense about anything.

[Keith Woolford]

LMFAO @ Jim

[Linda Baker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn

http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/conservation/prescribed-burning

http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat...

[Marion Torgany]

Here it is to often not controlled burn. It is to often out of control. Few weeks ago up here it came to close to some Indian huts, burned one side down. And some might remember the last year out of control fire which got into the urbanization Montañas de Caldera.
Controlled or not controlled - we have the year 2015 and know by now about all the bad effects.
btw - it's against the law in panama to burn your garbage, even if it is a small pile of garbage, you will be fined.

[Jim Tosch]

Hope , I am sorry, but these fires are a part of the culture all over Latin America. Everyone says it is an accident but it is a cheap way to clear everything from cane fields to unwanted growth. It happens every March and you will be amazed how soon everything is green again. Time for a cultural adjustment.

[Marion Torgany]

Jim give me a break, cultur! This is pure Neanderthal, even I think - back than they had been smarter.
In the area around Panama City they fined the landowners, that stopped the fires.
Whenever I see burned land I call the bomberos in Dolega and they come right away. (I live in Potrerillo)