While natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes receive the most media coverage and cause the most devastation, forest fires can also result in massive loss of life and billions of dollars of damage. Irish timber merchant Crowe Sawmills has compiled this striking and interesting infographic which profiles the 10 deadliest forest fires in history, based on the final death toll.
Most forest fires are the unfortunate result of a lethal mixture of weather conditions, high winds and extreme temperatures. In some cases, human error and negligence play a significant part in mass conflagration. When we embark on a walking trail in an area of forestry, we have a responsibility to respect nature and not to do anything, innocently or otherwise, which may upset it and, even more seriously, put human lives at risk.
Another all too common theme in the conflagrations featured here is the large number of noble firefighters who gave their lives in trying to quell these blazes. We cannot but appreciate the selfless missions that firefighters carry out for the common good, with these brave men and women repeatedly risking their lives in order to try and save the lives of others. Too many of these heroic individuals have died in the line of duty, which is why we as a race must do all we can to respect the world’s forests and not endanger nature or human life.