Fire: Mankinds Source of Energy and Natures Enemy

Fire has been used in a variety of different forms, whether it is for light, a means of cooking, a means for thermal energy, a disinfectant, a weapon etc. Since the begining of human life, man has always used fire as a means to improve its life. And though through controlled ways we are able to minimally, if not completely, avoid any disasters that can hurt our ways of life. With the small possiblity of a disaster in which we started occured, we are able to, after a few months, rebuild and restart our lives, however that is not the case for nature. Almost every year for the past decade there has been natural wildfires occuring all over California. The effects of these fires are devastating to the ecosystem for many reasons. One of which is the destruction of the enviroments and homes of the plants and animals that inhabit that area which in turn effects the earth perspective of ecology. Then you have the smoke and the pollutants that are burned from the fire is moved throughout the sky which in turn affects the ozone layer. Then you have the large quantities of water that it takes in attempt to put out the fire. Overall, fire when controlled, has been and will continue to be our greatest tool, however in a natural disaster it is the enemy to all aspects of the ecosystem.