Experts estimate about 85% of bushfires are caused by humans. A person may accidentally or carelessly start a fire, such as leaving a campfire unattended or using machinery which creates sparks. Or a person could maliciously light a fire.

Now, an analysis of high-resolution satellite data from hundreds of California wildfires shows human-caused blazes spread much faster and kill more trees than ones ignited by lightning. Studies have shown human ignition is to blame for 84% of all wildfires in the United States, and 97% of all those that threaten homes.

For most people, forest fire is synonymous with disaster. Even before human involvement, natural, low-intensity wildfires occurred every few years to burn up fuel, plant debris, and dead trees, making way for young, healthy trees and vegetation to thrive. That new growth in turn supports forest wildlife.

Bushfires are generally slower moving, but have a higher heat output. This means they pass in two to five minutes, but they can smoulder for days. Fire in the crown of the tree canopy can move rapidly. Bushfires are an intrinsic part of Australia’s environment.

Every Wildfire In New South Wales, Australia, Is Now Under Control : NPR. Every Wildfire In New South Wales, Australia, Is Now Under Control The fires that burned for months over much of eastern Australia have finally been brought under control, helped by days of intense rain. But recovery remains a long-term effort.

(2020), the wide extent of the bushfires is claimed due to extremely dry conditions that persisted over the past 2 years. (2020) explained in a Letter that dry fuel moisture and the ongoing droughts are the only causes of the 2019–2020 Australian bushfires.

46 million acres

Research published in a special edition of Nature Climate Change focused on the bushfire crisis finds that 21% of the total area covered by Australian forests – excluding Tasmania – has burnt so far in the 2019-20 bushfire season.

Taking into account all three types of costs in the wake of the 2019/20 bushfire season, current estimates stand at tens of billions of dollars in losses. Professor John Quiggin, Australian Laureate Fellow in Economics at the University of Queensland, estimates a loss of over $100 bn.

The Australian government is working alongside scientists to help wildlife recover from habitat loss after massive bushfires burned tens of millions of acres of land and killed an estimated 1 billion animals.