Primary & Secondary Impacts of Wildfires
- Primary effects are the immediate and short-term impacts of wildfires
- Secondary effects are the impacts that occur later on after the wildfire has been extinguished
Primary and Secondary Impacts of Wildfires
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Primary impacts |
Secondary impacts |
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Social |
Deaths and injuries Displacement of people Damage to properties and infrastructure causing disruption to people’s lives Damage / destruction of crops
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Mental health issues e.g. stress, anxiety, depression Health issues such as respiratory illness caused by smoke inhalation Homelessness Food shortages |
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Economic |
Destruction of property and infrastructure leading to significant costs for repair and reconstruction Disruption of trade and economic activity Loss of crops and timber Loss of income and employment Costs of immediate responses |
Slower economic growth and development Increased economic inequality as impacts are more severe for most vulnerable people Increased costs of insurance and hazard management strategies |
|
Environmental |
Destruction of habitats and ecosystems Loss of biodiversity Atmospheric pollution from smoke and toxic gases Water pollution as ash gets into water |
Long-term impacts of food webs and ecosystems Increased soil erosion and leaching due to lack of trees and vegetation Damage to soil and loss of soil fertility Increased risk of flooding Release of carbon emissions contributes to climate change |
|
Political |
Pressure on governments to co-ordinate emergency response |
Changes in forest management policies to reduce chances of fire |
