An extensive heat wave has bothered Southern Europe for more than a month. It has dried the woods and caused uncontrolled forest fires especially in Spain. Dozens of people have been evacuated because of them.
It seems that the warm and dry spell has finally reached Finland as well. If it lasts, it will cause a high risk of forest fires. The Finnish Meteorological Institute issues forest fire warning if necessary. The warnings are specific for each province. When a forest fire warning is in force, it is forbidden to kindle an open fire in or near a forest. Such forest fire warnings prevented Midsummer bonfires this year in many places as you might recall. Take a note of the warnings when you are exercising your everyman’s rights!
Last July the forest fires is northwestern Russia raged for weeks. The smoke disturbed people also on the Finnish side of the border. As over 70% of the Finnish land area is forested, the fires are a major concern. A lot is done to prevent fires – however, raking (despite Donald Trump’s claims) isn’t included in fire prevention measures.
Want to learn more about the nature around you? The “Your Neighborhood Nature in Finland” online course is a fun way to do just that. Get the course from our online store.
Satellites scan the woods constantly and report fire brigades automatically if a fire is detected. In addition, forests are observed from the air as fire detection flights take place once or twice a day depending on the forest fire index value. If the fire sparks somewhere, it doesn’t usually spread far. Large scale fires are often prevented by lakes and rivers, and of course roads.
Despite the control measures, forest fires are common in Finland especially after long warm and dry periods in the summer. Unfortunately, many fires are caused by people. Occasionally, the forest management machinery sparks the fire, sometimes campers cause fires, and they can ignite also from cigarette stubs being thrown into the woods. Thunder related lightnings can also set fires.
Not all woods are equally prone to fires. Pine-dominated forests are the most susceptible to fires as pines tend to grow on rocky and sandy soils which dry easily. Pines however, have evolved high resistance to fires. The bark is thick and it protects the wood surprisingly efficiently. Thus, old pines may have marks of previous fires which they have survived.
One doesn’t think about it often, but fires are a natural renewing force in woodlands. Statistically, dry pine forests burn down more often than spruce-dominated moister forest types. The long history of forest fires has shaped the ecosystem so that some species have specialized on living in newly burnt forests. Some beetles can smell smoke and orientate themselves to sites where the land has hardly cooled down. Many such species are endangered nowadays. The Natural Resources Institute organizes controlled restoration fires in state owned forests every summer in order to provide suitable living conditions to these endangered insects.
Learn more about the Finnish nature in one of our upcoming tutorials!
Learn more about Finnish nature and all the things it can offer you. The course includes a 30-page recipe booklet to help you enjoy the offerings. Get our “Your Neighborhood Nature in Finland” online course from our online store.
The mission of Finnwards is to help internationals thrive in their life abroad. We provide coaching, consulting, and training services that help them do just that. Check out our Services for Businesses and Organizations or our Expat Inspiration Catalog for more information! While we serve internationals and their employers all over the world, our specialty is Finland. With our help, internationals can build a uniquely Finnish life for themselves and their family. In addition to the coaching, consulting and training services, we also offer a wide selection of self-guided online courses about Finland. Contact us and let us help you or your employees succeed in their professional and private lives abroad and in Finland.
- So many different types of milk! - September 5, 2019
- Crayfish party etiquette - August 15, 2019
- Music and art education in Finland - August 1, 2019
