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Flashcards in Chile Wildfires Deck (44)
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1
Q

When did the wild fires start?

A

3rd December 2016

2
Q

When did the wild fires end?

A

January 2017

3
Q

How did these fires compare to other wildfires in Chile’s history?

A

They were the worst wildfires in Chile’s history.

4
Q

How many square miles of land were destroyed?

A

2000 square miles

5
Q

How many people died?

A

11

6
Q

How many fires were there?

A

Over 100

7
Q

Which part of the country was affected?

A

Mainly the western parts of the country were affected.

8
Q

How many people had to be evacuated?

A

Over 10,000

9
Q

How many people were injured?

A

At least 298

10
Q

How many homes in the town of Santa Olga burnt down overnight?

A

1200

11
Q

How many people in the city of Constitucion lost their homes?

A

6000-7000

12
Q

How many people were in shelters as a result of the fires as of 26th January?

A

1088

13
Q

How much did the wildfires cost the Chilean gouvernement?

A

$333 million

14
Q

How many homes were destroyed in Valparaiso?

A

2000

15
Q

What was released into the atmosphere?

A

Lots of CO2

16
Q

How did the smoke from the fires damage human health?

A

People may have had breathing difficulties.

17
Q

What were the environmental impacts of the fires? 6

A

Ecosystems were upset
Animals lost their habitat
Soil fertility declines as nutrients are removed from the soil
More CO2 in the atmosphere
Forest degradation and loss of vegetation affects the water cycle.
Impacts on the water supply

18
Q

List the 6 social impacts

A

People lose their jobs and land
Homes destroyed
People driven out by high insurance or bad experience (perception of hazard)
Deaths
Permanent injuries
People may underestimate the fire hazard due to a lack of knowledge

19
Q

List the 6 economic impacts

A

High insurance premiums
Tourism will increase as the country becomes warmer
Forestry industry may decline
Rehabilitation costs
Investment into wild fire mitigation
Potential technological advancement due to scientific research into the issue

20
Q

What was the damage to the forestry industry?

A

Losses of $350million

21
Q

What is one of Chile’s main export sectors?

A

Forestry

22
Q

Is Chile a HIC or a LIC?

A

HIC

23
Q

Where did the fires start?

A

In the hillsides of Valparaiso

24
Q

Were the fires started deliberately?

A

Some were but others were accidental

25
Q

What did fire chiefs say about why some of the fires occurred?

A

Some fires occurred as a result of poor planning and poor regulation as some forest plantations did not have firebreaks.

26
Q

Why did the fires spread rapidly?

A

The fires were in the plantations rather than the more humid forests.

27
Q

What causes the spread of fires?

A

Hot and windy conditions

28
Q

What do the plantations have that makes them more flammable?

A

Eucalyptus

29
Q

What is increasing the duration, frequency and intensity of forest fires?

A

Climate change

30
Q

Which month of the year is the hottest for Chile?

A

January

31
Q

How long was the drought that contributed to the fires?

A

8 years long

32
Q

What 3 things are needed to start a fire and where can they be found in Chile?

A

Heat (hot temps which are increasing due to climate change)
Fuel (eucalyptus in plantations)
Oxygen (in the air)

33
Q

What did the evacuation plan that was put in place entail?

A

Moving some people across a river and evacuating residential areas where the fire had spread.

34
Q

What did Chile’s volunteer fire service struggle to do?

A

Control all of the fires

35
Q

What did local people do to help?

A

Donate petrol, food and drinks

36
Q

Did other countries help?

A

Yes

37
Q

How many helicopters and light aircraft did the government dispatch?

A

40

38
Q

What did the helicopters and light aircraft do?

A

Douse the ground

39
Q

What did a wealthy Chilean citizen do?

A

Funded a Boeing 747-400 super tanker to try and help to combat the fires

40
Q

What was sent out to bury the animal carcasses?

A

Machinery

41
Q

What was set up?

A

A crowd funding page

42
Q

What did the crowd funding page aim to do?

A

Raise money to rebuild the parts of the country that were devastated by fires.

43
Q

How many fire fighters battled the flames?

A

About 1300

44
Q

What could the Chilean government do to ensure that the fires are controlled next time?

A

Put planning restrictions in place so that plantations are placed away from residential areas.
Further fire training for fire fighters and also residents
Enforce firebreaks