Opposition to Prescribed Burns Essay -- Fires Health Essays

Opposition to Prescribed Burns Forest fires kill many animals and usually destroy a large amount of land. Prescribed burns seem like they would be the best idea, but are they? Their claim to fame is to clear out land in order to decrease the burning space for when an actual forest fire occurs. Yet this may seem like a brilliant idea, but one must look at the negative aspects of controlled burnings. People might have a change of heart when they realize the damages and effects of such an interesting act. Keep in mind that not only is your health involved but even such things as the inconvenience of dealing with a smoky town. It is important to understand that prescribed burns cause severe health problems especially to firefighters; these are concerning carbon monoxide poisoning, visibility issues and health risks that will affect the future. Carbon monoxide is a major component in smoke from fires. It can cause a loss of mental acuity, acute nausea and severe headaches (Reinhardt 33). Death can occur at extreme levels of this intoxication and it can even cause shortness of breath and dizziness (Reinhardt 35). It may not seem like it is that bad, but one must consider that these things add up and can really affect their health and well-being. The carbon monoxide levels tend to shoot up when the wind speed goes up during daily exposure (U.S. Department of Agriculture 3). It also depends on what kind of duties you have as a firefighter; because those with the highest level of carbon monoxide in their system were a part of the direct attack and those with the least were the fire starters (U.S. Department of Agriculture 3). Carbon monoxide is a powerful poison that can kill you and it is absolut... ... but when your lungs collapse later in your life because you inhaled too much carbon monoxide you might regret the thought of prescribed burns. Works Cited Blakeman, Scott. â€Å"911 picture.† Photograph. 2001. 14 November 2004 http://www.scottblakeman.com/ firefighters.gif. Reinhardt, Timothy E. Monitoring firefighter exposure to air toxins at prescribed burns of forest and range biomass. Portland: Forest Service, 1991. Reinhardt, Timothy E. Smoke exposure among firefighters at prescribed burns in the Pacific Northwest. Portland: Forest Service, 2000. Shifting Sands. â€Å"Prescribed Burn.† Photogragh. 2002. 15 November 2004 U.S. Department of Agriculture. Smoke exposure at prescribed burns: a study on the effects of smoke exposure on firefighters at prescribed burns. Portland: Forest Service, 1995.