# Q7A · Explain in brief 5 key causes of Forest Fires and elaborate the any 5 immediate respo…

Subject: Disaster Management

Exam: TEE

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Actual TEE paper · 100 marks · 3 hours · Q1 + any four of Q2–Q7

### Q7A. Explain in brief 5 key causes of Forest Fires and elaborate the any 5 immediate response measures that can be adopted for control of Forest fires and extinguishing the forest fires [10 marks]

#### Answer

## Five causes

1. **Lightning.** A strike can ignite sufficiently dry vegetation, especially when little rain reaches the ground.
2. **Unattended flames.** Careless campfires, discarded smoking materials or other open flames can ignite litter.
3. **Escaped burning.** Agricultural or debris burning can spread into nearby forest when control fails.
4. **Deliberate ignition.** Arson can start a fire; motives and responsibility require investigation rather than assumption.
5. **Equipment or electrical faults.** Sparks and damaged power infrastructure can ignite dry fuel. Heat, drought and wind make fuels drier and spread faster; they are not always the ignition source themselves.

## Five immediate response measures

1. **Detect, report and assess.** Report the location, fire direction, weather, access and people at risk. Authorities assess fuel, terrain and expected spread.
2. **Warn and evacuate.** Issue clear route and shelter instructions, assist vulnerable residents and close unsafe roads. Avoid sending people into smoke or the expected fire path.
3. **Establish safe command and access.** Coordinate fire and forest services, protect responders and maintain communication, escape routes and safety zones.
4. **Contain and suppress professionally.** Trained crews use tactics and equipment suitable for the fire, such as controlled suppression and prepared containment lines. Prescribed burning or back-burning is specialist work, never an instruction for the public.
5. **Prevent re-ignition and meet urgent needs.** Maintain professional patrols for hotspots and re-ignition, keep unsafe areas closed, and arrange urgent medical care, safe water and temporary shelter for affected people. Long-term forest restoration belongs to recovery rather than this immediate-response list.

#### Illustrative application · Fire near a settlement

Dry vegetation, an ignition source and wind can allow a fire to spread towards homes. Fuel management and safer development concern mitigation; official warnings and evacuation plans concern preparedness and response. People should follow trained services, not improvise dangerous firefighting.