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Ground On Fire

Worthwords | 11.04.2007 23:12

Wierd stuff

I went out earlier tonight to burn some papers,you know the kind of stuff that can get your identity stolen.I went to a place out in the country were it's mostly peat and scrubland.I've done this befor,last year and the year befor.But tonight was different.I had no sooner lit the papers when the fire spread.Not spread like it set nearby dead grass on fire.But like someone had pre-treated the whole area with sprayed petrol.They had'nt,i would have smelt it.But the area i mean was about the size of 10 football pitches and it went across it in seconds.I've never seen anything like it.It was like the plants were full of gas.The whole thing lasted about 5 minutes.Very strange.

Worthwords

Comments

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Peat fires

13.04.2007 09:49

explained

 http://www.daelnet.co.uk/countrynews/archive/2003/country_news_16042003.cfm

 http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/news/news-display-page.htm?id=12445

 http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:woyNXg-wpYIJ:www.scoutingresources.org.uk/downloads/camping_firelighting.pdf+care+against+peat+fires&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=uk

Fly posters

methane

13.04.2007 09:54

- so basically, peat releases methane, never light a fire directly onto peat, it fucks the ecosystem, and can burn for years.

fly posters

Check on it !

13.04.2007 14:04

Fires can spread underground and burn unnoticed for weeks and with little smoke. It can kill every tree and plant for miles and doesn't do the fauna any good either. I think peat or coal seams can burn for years. To stop it you have to dig around the edges of the fire and dig deeply and turn over all the hot soil or peat, and chuck water on it, work your way into the centre. Even for a small underground fire with a lot of volunteers and a ready supply of water this can take days as it keeps on reigniting.

This isn't aimed at you but people who don't know how to build and extinguish a safe campfire can't be considered Homo Sapiens. We are going to more of this as the climate warms.

dan