S-28. Forest Fires

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Thank you for joining us for today's Spotlight program. I'm Liz Waid.

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And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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It seems that fire has always been a part of human life. It helps us cook our food. It helps us stay warm. Without fire, many people could not live. Fire brings us many good things.

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But fire can also be bad. If it is not controlled, it can destroy homes and villages. It can hurt and kill people.

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And it also destroys forests. Every year, there are forest fires all around the world. These fires can burn for weeks, even months. It is difficult to stop them.

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In 2007, hot weather in Greece caused the land and the forest to become very dry. It did not rain for a long time. The government worried that fires would begin and spread easily.

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They were right. Soon, a forest fire began in Greece. Then another began. After only a few days, there were fires burning all across the country.

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One man watched as the fires burned near his home.

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"For many hours, there have been smoke and fires burning on this mountain. There are houses that are in danger of being burned."

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The fires quickly destroyed many kilometres of forest. Thousands of animals died. Soon, the fires reached people's homes. And in just a few days, the fires killed more than sixty people. One witness said,

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"It is so sad. I can see the burned bodies of a mother holding her child in her arms. Further away there are more bodies. It is terrible."

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Special workers, called fire fighters, tried to put out the fires using water and special chemicals. Other countries sent their own fire fighters to help Greece. Still, the fires continued to spread.

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Finally, after 10 days, the fires slowed. They did not spread any more. But the fires had destroyed many parts of Greece.

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Experts estimate that the fires will cost the country more than fifty-four hundred million U.S. dollars [$5,400,000,000]. It may take years for Greece to recover what it has lost.

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For many people, it is difficult to understand how something so terrible could happen. But every year, forest fires burn thousands of kilometres of forests in countries all over the world. They are most common in areas that have a hot, dry season.

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In 2007, there were large forest fires in central and south Africa, south Europe, the Amazon, South America, and the United States.

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Many of these fires started naturally. Often, fires start when lightning hits dry ground. It is not possible to prevent these fires.

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But lightning does not cause all forest fires. Some experts estimate that people start more than sixty percent of forest fires!

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Some people start fires because they are angry. Others start fires to feel powerful. These criminals are called arsonists. Usually arsonists start fires using common chemicals, like gasoline. This causes the fire to spread quickly.

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Police believe that arsonists started many of the fires in Greece. One person believes that home-building companies may have started some of the fires.

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"The law currently says that forested land cannot be built on. So what do you do if you want to build in such an area? Start it on fire so that it is no longer forested."

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But one expert believes that young men may have started the fires for a different reason.

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"A big reason that people start forest fires is to feel excitement. Or they may want to feel like a hero and help stop the fire once it starts."

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Arsonists cause many forest fires every year. However, it is possible for a person to start a forest fire by accident. For example, smoking tobacco cigarettes in a very dry area can be dangerous. The burning end of a cigarette can start a fire if it falls on dry leaves or tree branches.

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When a person starts a forest fire, it can cause terrible damage. But most of the time, the person who starts the fire does not mean to destroy homes or to kill other people. Timothy Huff, an expert on arsonists, says:

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"When a person starts a forest fire, he does not understand what will be destroyed."

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Forest fires destroy more than just homes and villages. They also change the environment. Forests help protect the lives of both animals and people. They provide shelter and food. Trees produce the oxygen that we breathe, and help keep the air clean.

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The World Conservation Union, or IUCN, hopes to help the forests of Greece recover from the fires. But most importantly, IUCN leader Tamas Marghescu says, they will work to help people return to their normal lives.

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"This is not just recovery of the environment. It is not just about putting trees back. It is recovery of parts of the environment that are most important for human life."

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IUCN also hopes to prepare the local environment for the future. Instead of replacing the burned trees with the same kind of trees, they plan to plant new trees that do not burn as quickly.

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"We want to help the environment change so that it is ready for future climate changes."

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The results of these forest fires make it clear that trees are an important part of human life. But trees are also important to God! In the Bible, in the book of Isaiah, it says:

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"For you will go out with joy, and be led forward with peace; the mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

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In this verse, we read that even the trees praise God! It may seem strange to imagine trees praising God. But as part of His creation, they praise him just by being trees!

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Forest fires can be terrible. They cause so much damage to the environment, to homes, to villages and to forests. But in the middle of this destruction, we can also remember that God cares for his creation. And over time, he also brings healing to people, communities, and to the land. New trees grow. And we can remember that God loves all of his creation, even the trees!

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The writer and producer of today's Spotlight program was Ryan Geertsma. All quotes have been adapted for this program. The voices you heard were from the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa. Computer users can hear our programs, read our scripts, and see our word list on our website at www.radio.english.net. This program is called "Forest Fires". We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!