# data[].attributes.body
There are many ways Wildfires can start. Some examples are: lighting, mishaps with contained fire, arson, disregard with lit matches, etc. Some fires start because of spontaneous combustion,though that is very rare.

# data[].attributes.body
Small animals who can't outrun the fire hide under logs,rocks, or bury themselves under the ground. Lager animals run to streams, rivers, or any body of water. Other animals, Koalas for example, crawl up trees instinctively trapping themselves in the fire. Surprisingly most of the deaths come from after the fires when their habitats and food sources are gone from being burned up or leaving.

# data[].attributes.body
They burn up any dead trees, debris, and other things that are blocking new healthy trees from growing. They can also help some predators find prey while they try and escape. Another thing is they keep the forest or environment from becoming overgrown or over populated.

# data[].attributes.body
The most obvious answer to this is death and destruction to both humans and animals. There are also other problems such as air quality. The air in California in September was filled with smoke and very hard to breath. This affects both animals and humans, yet the animals probably had the shorter end of the stick since they can't wear masks or stay inside if they are a wild animal.

# data[].attributes.body
I chose this topic because it was interesting and I wanted to learn more about wildfires. It's cool to know how different animals react to a crisis. It's also interesting to know that there are good things that come out of wildfires.

# data[].attributes.headline
How We Can Help Prevent Devastating Wildfires. 

# data[].attributes.subject
How We Can Help Prevent Devastating Wildfires. 

# data[].attributes.body
There are many ways to keep wildfires from happening or under control. You can be careful when using flammable liquids, put out campfires when done, putting cigarettes out after using them and not throwing them out windows. You could also leave it to professionals if you need one for farming purposes. Also be careful when using fireworks for burning trash.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking at the aftermath of a wildfire might make you think that no good can from it. After all, it demolishes homes, displaces thousands of humans and animals, and incinerates millions of acres of land. But believe it or not, there are more benefits to wildfires than meets the eye. For example, some wildlife don't just survive the flames, they actually thrive in the fire's wake.

In 2001, wildfires in New Mexico destroyed the endangered Jemez Mountains salamander's habitat. But the population survived by hiding out in the nooks and crannies of rocks. Turns out, many amphibians and other smaller animals who can't outrun the flames take cover in logs, under rocks, or by burying themselves in the dirt.

At the other end of the spectrum, large animals like elk will flee to streams or lakes for protection. Other animals, on the other hand, aren't so lucky. Koalas, for example, will instinctively crawl up trees, trapping themselves in the flames.

But wildfires aren't just a threat. They're also an opportunity. Especially for predators like bears, raccoons, and raptors who hunt down creatures trying to escape. In fact, researchers have even seen raptors intentionally spread fires to flush out prey.

However, the real benefits of fires come after the flames die down. Pine trees, for example, open their waxy cones and release their seeds during the fire. But it's the ashes the fire leaves behind that fertilize the soil so the seeds can grow. Moreover, the fire removes debris as well as dead and diseased plants, which exposes the ground to more sunlight in the process.

This helps seedlings sprout and can sometimes even spawn thousands of flowers in the fire's wake. And many animals also take advantage of the freshly burned forest. The charred remains of trees provide the perfect habitats for insects and small wildlife. Wood wasps, for instance, depend on the burned trees to lay their eggs.

And other animals, like black-backed woodpeckers, will actively seek outburned forests for a tasty snack. They binge on bark beetles that live in the dead trees and then make their homes in the blackened bark. And while this delicate balance between destruction and new growth has been a way of life for millennia, human interference is changing that.

Over the last century, we stifled wildfires. So, forests became unnaturally overgrown and contained plenty of dead wood just waiting to ignite. This, along with increased temperatures and more droughts, has made wildfires more devastating and frequent than ever before in places like California.

Making it harder for plants and animals to rebound like they used to. So, if we don't start clearing dead vegetation and helping fires run their natural course we may end up threatening forests and wildlife more than any fire ever could.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published in December 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What happens to animals during wildfires

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking at the aftermath of a wildfire might make you think that no good can from it. After all, it demolishes homes, displaces thousands of humans and animals, and incinerates millions of acres of land. But believe it or not, there are more benefits to wildfires than meets the eye.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
In California’s smoke-filled horizon, it’s become hard to breathe | CNN

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For West Coast residents, the anxiety that comes with fire season is all too familiar.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Happens to Wildlife During a Wildfire?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
So, what exactly is the impact of forest fires on wildlife? It turns out that like most things in life, it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, wildfire is a natural part of the ecosystem in the western United States, and wildlife has a long relationship with it. Some species even benefit from the blazes. On…