All over the world make of fires are destroyed entire towns and regions. Are in circle around her like a Freight Train coming torture. Me. Make a foreigners are different they are beyond our control they are insatiable see indigo what the peace also since some 200 clear it does certain. Scientists and firefighters are taking up the challenge with new methods. Its really up to humans to figure out how to rebalance everything and we can do that its a race against time to save our habitat and our lives. In the Tropical Forest scientists have discovered yet another major impact caused by extreme wildfires. In Southeast Asia africa and the amazon read that deforestation for the purpose of agriculture is responsible for an especially risky type of place fires on pete soil. In indonesia this is had terrible consequences bang bang hero works for the government he is investigating the site of an illegal deforestation. Im betting that since 2000. 500 cases. Of. Charcoal left over from the fire and that so. Were collecting them to prove there was indeed a fire and will analyze them to determine the impact of the fire. Indonesia produces 30 percent of the worlds palm oil as demand soars so do the fires. Here a Palm Oil Company may have used slash and burn to extend their plantation. Before planting the oil palms canals are dug to drain the moist soil. This lowers the water table by up to 30 centimeters leaving the peat dry and flammable. This burn patch is not yet another illegal far. Here and International Team of scientists is recreating the legal burns to study their consequences. We are in good one where we are going to simulate. Pete burns differently than trees for a reason. Beat. With a flame. The fire can actually penetrate deep inside the ground i mean the saw itself that is burning its not debilitation its actually the. Invisibly the fires burrow deep into the ground. Fires are the largest fires on earth that actually can burn away from view for very long time for weeks and months. We have seen fires. In specific locations it creates holes which are a deep person goes into a wholly disappears from view. And is the most persistent type of fire on earth because hes basis to be initiated and the most difficult to suppress. He rang 3 times actually. The fires were not suppressed by these rains. Back in his lab in london guillermo was tackling them even more treacherous aspect of the peat fires. And this is our special beat that comes from. Students from ireland. Because they. Are places. To students think the. Team is the only Research Facility on the globe dedicated wholly to the study of peat fires the. Nature restores carbon. Stored in the carbon for a long time. But it wasnt a great it actually stays in the water and the deeper you go in it beat the. It could be from 100 years to a 1000 years thats a very n. C. And so i was captured a long time ago. When pete smolders generations of captured carbon are released into our atmosphere all at once. As trees are biomass grow they take coming from the atmosphere and they release oxygen and then the fire is the opposite usually fire is the opposite of photosynthesis it actually releases the carbon into the atmosphere and it consumes the oxygen so the growing of a forest this is the burning of a forest. And all the while the peat hardly looks like its burning at all. Only the high speed infrared camera captures the fire spreading outwards until all the biomass has been consumed and the carbon released. Big emissions from up big fire are massive are 10 to 100 times larger than flaming fires. So the footprint is very very large is the elephant in the room off of carbon emissions. And this footprint is about to become even larger as the fires expand to new peak rich areas of the Tropical Forest in brazil and peru. And there is another carbon bomb ready to go off. Mega fires are also attacking the boreal forest rich in peat in canada alaska scandinavia the u. K. And even siberia. In the border region ones fast and other. Regence. The scary thing is people and stuff only 3 percent of the land surface but theres still a lot of carbon maybe 25 percent of Global Carbon stocks so its a fires move into the youve got fairly i didnt mention area. That is leaving to Climate Change is leaving is leading to places where the soil will be warmer and drier which then will lead to more fires which will lead to more emissions so others electorates a positive Feedback Mechanism between more peak fires means more big fires in the future. And if this increases Global Warming in general the number of wildfires will soar. Where will you go when your forests are no longer green but theyre black and gone where will you go to breathe deep and slow. Every time there is a mega fire a Community Faces the challenge of recovering from an encounter with the beast. Several years after the fire Fort Mcmurray is physically being rebuilt but homes recover faster than people said lets take a moment to pray for each other lets take a moment to pray for everybody who is coming to our service. This morning we just take a moment of lucas has left his job as a firefighter and become a pastor today that we would do it for the sake of your kingdom and for your glory i think the rate of Alcohol Consumption and the people i work with just skyrocketed myself personally to you guys excited. As every day on the timeline after major disasters like this you see Domestic Violence increase you see suicides increase you see Substance Abuse increase all of those things we have seen in our city all of those things are on the rise. The reason. You know. Lucas and fellow Church Members raised funds for psychological counseling for local people and firefighters. That was. The scientists tell us that for our force to recover and to look like it did before the fire is over 200 years for us as a people who experienced it i dont think it will ever leave us. I m o chalayan and psychologically would be something that is part of us now as part of our story. All over the world unless we find new solutions more major fires like the beast will take their tribute from our communities. We have tampered with nature and created this crisis now its up to us to find out how we can save our habitat and our lives before it is too late. Frank crumb is a great expert on force dynamics working in switzerland. He is determined to find out which rule fire played in our forests before the age of mega fires after all fire has always been part of nature. To get started frank is headed to a former military bunker from world war 2. These hidden tunnels lead to the biggest collection of tree samples in europe. Some of these samples are 14000 years old. Trees have the nice ability to preserve different information in their rings they work as an autobiography for a tree and we can see different kind of signals we can see climatic signals we can see physical influences like damages and so on and we can also see environmental conditions. These are 2 samples from 2 different regions so this one here is from a very cold region and you can see very tiny rings the vegetation period is really short and the trees are growing very very slowly and here the tree rings much bigger because the conditions are better for the tree so they have the same diameter but this tree is about 25 years old and these trees about 300 years old. Here we can see a very narrow rain in 2003 as a consequence of a very dry heat. Another tree ring bears witness to a rock fall. This tree from southern switzerland shows several scars fire scars appear a fire scar here a fires car and here a fire scar that means the tree has survived several fire events one can really nicely see how the tree can over grow these kind of wounds that are produced by the fires. The scientists cross reference weather and climate data for an even more precise truly otto biography. Here we have an example of Ponderosa Pine from arizona with these fires scarse across the whole tree sample the last one is an 1874 than there was 150 years before so this tree has survived several fires that are recorded here this is conclusive evidence that during their evolution trees learn to live with moderate fires. Fire and the trays are adept at to each other and fires are part of the forest ecosystem. But now humans have brought destructive mega fires upon the forest and upset a delicate balance. Lets find out more about how the forest copes with a moderate fire and even benefits from it. 7 years ago this landscape burned by 55000 acres in it burned in a moderate severely in this forest is bouncing back already youve got this mountain loop and here this is the nitrogen fixer and it helps this forest to rebound it fixes atmospheric night or gen and then it leaks it to the neighborhood after a moderate fire colorful little helpers fill up the forest and stimulate growth and trees like the lodgepole pine just love a good fire many species are adapted to fire but this one here is dependent upon fire to complete its life cycle its got these really cool cones every one of these cones scales is held closed by a drop of resin the heat of the fire melts that resin the khans open and then the seeds can fall to the ground. A few years later you can come back and see baby seedlings lodgepole pine failing in under the black and trees a new forest. Here wildfires part of a cycle of renewal. And it wouldnt have been this way if it had been a big hot mega fire you would have had the seedlings you wouldnt have had the source of plant life that developed here after the fire. Fires can help our forests bounce back with new vigor. Weve been thinking about wild fire for a long time in the wrong way theres no way to keep it out of the ecosystem. We have to invite it back in and dance with the babies. And. The little dancing with the unit me might save our lives. But for that we need to overcome our fear of fire. With. Sonia lever close a canadian fire ecologist and firefighter has come to me to people who have a completely different relationship with fire. Chief marvin youre here with several very 1st nations and this is the territory of live very 1st nations we have 3000 square kilometers of. Hunting territory here. Fire is important it plays a larger role than always has been 1st nations people my dad was my. My teacher. He lived off the land he was a trotter and a hunter he taught all his boys are always need to. Explain the dangers of as not to be played with its important. That also far can be here your friend he says and your enemy at the same time. Now sonya teaches young firefighters how many indigenous tribes in both canada and the u. S. Knew all along how to use fire as a tool paradoxically it was the indian custom of frequent light burning that it produced and maintain much of the land of white settlers were then able to find. These open grasslands grew very attractive to the white settler. People thought this was a natural thing that happened and they were really really excited but little did they know they needed to continue applying fire to the land in order to maintain and to keep a patchwork mosaic on the land. Fire as a tool was outlawed and the tradition largely forgotten only a few tribes like chief marvins after served and. We have a birds eye view of being in that area are just 200. 00 stand and work of our own. Were willing to share their our knowledge and work with people. Sonja is updating the ancient tradition with modern science. First step preparation. In todays dense and overgrown forests a clear boundary needs to be set around the entire plot for the planned fire. Where we have black line we actually removed the fuel component of the fire triangle so when a fire approaches a black line then the fire no mo no longer can spread because the fuel has been removed from that area. So news team also and a with line to strengthen the boundary. The great moment has come when weve completed our wet line around the outside edge weve also done black lining against the wet line and if the wind condition is right and we get wind from the west the fire will roll across here it will stop against our black line. This may look like a ping pong ball but actually its filled with potassium permanganate which gets injected with glycol and make them highly flammable that happens through this machine that i have in the helicopter with. In the. Socalled prescribed fires or controlled burns are the modern version of a traditional burn to maintain the patchwork in the forest. They are now making a comeback as an efficient Fire Prevention tool in canada and the us. And are even being introduced in europe. To make helicopters make the process faster. And less risky for the firefighters and allow them to reach difficult terrain. And. The fire just scratches the surface and is done in an hour. We light fires because that is also part of firefighting prescribed fire and keeps the land healthy. But there are areas where prescribed fires are a huge risk for instance right next to a community. John will brant is one of hundreds of millions of people all over the world who live in the socalled wild land urban interface. These dream homes after become deadly fire traps because humans and the forest share the same space. We were well aware that one day we might be fighting a fire to try and save our home. The race is on to find Viable Solutions to survive extreme wildfire in these areas example california. In december 2017 a spark from a faulty powerline ignited the parched and overgrown landscape a frequent cause of fire where humans want to live in nature with all the amenities. Spurred on by ferocious winds the fire soon grew into a mega fire. I could look out the window at night as i went to bed and i could see the fire for a couple of nights in a row as it burned closer and closer. John and his partners own cloyd decided to stay and defend their home. What i remember the most of the fire was the sound. The roar the intense it was like a Freight Train coming towards your ears. Part. Of your encircled by fire on at least 3 sides i took one side of the house he took the other and during the entire fire we didnt know whether the other one had survived the fire. For we made it both claude in our. We made it ok or says made it the donkey made it the cows made it. By studio did not make it. The fire found its way underneath the shipping containers and all of my archives all record of my life as an artist from when i was a teenager up until 2005 i have lost. And as the blaze continues many more homes were lost to the flames. And the firefighters were powerless until the fire raced in london towards 2 fire breaks. One was a scar created by a big fire in 2010 which stumps the flames. Another was a fire break from the 1960 s. And. On this ridge what we can see is a vast back on tree behind set of araa. And as we look to the south side of this ridge we can see the dense communities of the south coast and you get the visual here of how much area there is to burn that can impact the communities of course that often. Rob and his colleagues knew that this was their only chance. We lit a backfire across this ridge line the grass was cleared off with mechanical equipment and we were able to burn along this ridge using our fire to take out the feel bad in between the main fire and this ridge line when the fire arrived at the fire break the fire crews were ready and waiting the fire reduces its intensity when it burns into the field break the flame links are smaller its more controllable and the firefighters have places to go if things get out of control. And are burning operation was successful we stopped the fire on this ridge line. But many interface areas do not have fire breaks to protect them from mega fires. We want our cake and want to be able to eat it too its nice to get away from busy urban centers but its unrealistic to expect that those places are going to be safe from natural process hes. Probably 2 thirds to 3 quarters of all new Housing Starts in the western u. S. Are being developed in very flammable and dangerous circumstances we have to come up with a more clever for polls all for how we live in these areas we cannot just keep sprawling out words because we cant keep you safe. Millions of people are at risk in zones that are becoming increasingly prone to far. A scientist at the midst of fire scientists lab has dedicated his career to finding out what really happens when a fire invades a community. Jack cohen said a whole experimental forest on far to prove that the heat of the flames is not sufficient to ignite a home. Of the view clear you see of course but not ignited walther action nicely framed by the cracked wound. And. Now jacks research is the basis of an experiment which revealed what really causes the ignition of a home this. Very intense wildfire is producing lots of firebrands that then can cast down can shower down way ahead. Kilometers miles ahead of this intense flame for a. Point needles that have accumulated in the rain gutters or cotton fabric so proud of your furniture the wood in the debris that we might have on it there. Those are the things that make the house vulnerable to recommission. And once a house is on fire it produces its own members sitting off a Chain Reaction to. The wildfire actually doesnt spread through the community the burning things in the Community End up igniting the rest of the community. But does that mean that communities burning up during wildfires is inevitable. No. Its a home. Problem rather than a while for control problem. In Southern California communities are in a race against time to apply this discovery to millions of homes. In more recent years it seems like theres fires almost we recover from one and theres another one if its not here its close enough that we worry for friends or you know the cities nearby and the only part that hasnt burned is the part directly above me. My mom is terrified that i live here she thinks i should leave because fires are so dangerous. I live in a condo its would i know that its not landscape the way that it should be 2 2. Are you. Ready and i remember we are in a party if you so much for coming down for me. While far specialists like amber are inspecting homes one by one to try and make them less flammable. One thing that does concern me would be the mulch that you have around the side of your structure what moats does is it provides a receptive better a place where the ember can land in that night also one of the things that you can do is create a buffer such as rocks or sand dirt would be going on fine its cheap anything that just wont carry fire up against the side of your home. Look at all this killing bark but yeah definitely a spot that embers like to land. See thats how theres an opening in this doorway that allows embers to get right inside your shark sure this would be a weakness actually our neighbors over there have a great example by installing some metal mesh screening right behind those vents so i could just put something right behind it absolutely thats easy. In europe as well many of us enjoy living or spending our holidays near nature in the interface. Is specially in the mediterranean. But the closer we build to the forest the better the reach of the flames. Combine this with the you creasing drought and you have millions of people at risk. In portugal in 20174 large wildfires killed 66 people fires have also been wreaking havoc in spain cyprus and the south of france. 2018100 p. People lost their lives in matty in greece. Pullos coauthor of a government report about the growing fire risk in greece is investigating what turned a peaceful holiday destination into a fire trap. Its difficult for untrained people to make a decision many people think that. Its just drive to get to the main street but its the drive under normal conditions not the way hundreds of people in that same metals 3 when there is. The 1st person on the left hes caught in the middle of the street from the ground to the scene. Of the people were stuck envisions exactly what one of the 6 because were stuck in the point and most of them. And the people who tried to leave on foot been met with these type of wall books would not allow them to push through. 26 people perished here just a few meters from the city. And. Here we hear one of the exits one of the buses is all of the scenes and you can see how metal it is and how he didnt think people in trying to fight. And there is no sign even now is a very easy to mrs. There was no official strategy in place even for those who escaped to the beach. Some people tried to seem fair to them and they were picked up by the waves and begin. To see some somewhat able to survive when they would have us to buy votes for figure in the sea. So why is matty such a labyrinth. There was not any strength would been planning and then the strict building codes of the house there were many houses built up in the feet that was not appropriate for such. Interface. This. Is a good. Place. But even after the fire construction continues unchecked. We need to put these nodes in our actions and there needs to be some practical information passed on to the people. I can find myself in the office so i need to have the basic knowledge not to fear but to be prepared in the same way that in greece we have what to do in case of an earthquake and all these things. We need to take while far just as seriously as other major catastrophes if we want our families to be safe in these areas. Of. Technology on its own it is powerless against a mega fire. But with a new Prevention Strategies to make our landscapes less flammable our firefighters have a chance. At this unique training site and must say fire crews from the north of france and Northern Europe and even china and russia are getting ready for the challenge. Because im going plunk and dollar. On this is pretty clear. This just on the books i mean is this. A systemic one professor and if you know this method of and if you dont youre welcome us if we use will be for your. Growth and to lucinda but i should to put to music spot on film on film 2 who sits oscars a constant showing of damage will be to. The french firefighters form part of a new European Union network. Where crews from 34. 00 countries have joined forces to extinguish fires all over europe sharing resources and cost. Example sweden in 28. Coordination with all of Member States and that the year europe and umbrella they were going to come with planes such as a boat to go from says you tell me that also some neighboring countries from we dont as. A spoiler gemini and. This european collaboration provides a glimpse of the future of firefighting but what will be the big of what you call a shiksa just showing for that up to. The little bit. To skid row much of the new us on technology. Up to me through no 2 is it a monitor what. Could i not sure hope to forcible. I live on or you know a fire adapted ecosystem so fire is going to be here no matter what. You learn to live with it you know you look at the Weather Forecast you know its going to rain saturday so you dont plan to be outside saturday so same thing with small. You know if theres a big fire coming in and theres just like any other kind of weather pattern they have to plan around. You dont want to think about it because its so scary if you do but you have to be prepared for it every day. After the last few fires and packing and unpacking i finally decided to keep my most important things in a box ready to go its got things like important papers some family treasures memories some photos and everything is close to my front door so if nothing else could get grabbed it would be easy to get that box and get out of the house. The pyro seen the age of fire is here to stay whether we like it or not. And time is running out. We are a hell of an experiment on planet earth we have no other planet to go to this is the only place we can lay of what will the future hold how do we want our fire and smoke how do you want it he wanted big and hot and unbridled and belching smoke we cant be just moving back chairs on a sinking ship. We have about 20 years to get the needed work weve got the technological tools weve got the science we know what it takes we know how these forests work if we dont take any action today certainly its kicking the can down the road for future generations. Can we find a way to live with far before it is too late. In a Perfect World we would put out our lawn chairs in our back yards and we would watch it burn across the hillside and we would feel. That we could live with it and we would have felt threatened by it. To survive the age of mega fires we need to become once again a fire adapted species. And make peace with both far and the forest. Can we learn to tame the beast and live to tell the tale. To tell think it is a sin in chinese childrens. Congress students should be kept in line little a completely pursues Online Education by contrast High School Graduates to fight for personal freedoms. And dont be denied. I heard that. 3000. And 30 minutes on the d w i. A country in the pandemics shadow. Of spains difficult power to a new normal. From total loss down. To the 1st easing of restrictions then the return of tourists and all of the consequences for. Spains fight with the coronavirus close on. 90 minutes on d w. Youre going to want to fishel estimates more than 1200000 venezuelans live in colombia legally and illegally. Already. Returned to vast whaler. To visit friends is that i dont think id ever go back there to live you know what i live there again i dont know so im not sure. Bearing witness global news that matters. Made for mines. Play. This is news live from far away and the president of mali toppled in a military coup ibrahim bill baka cape town steps down amid his detention by rebel soldiers it follows months of growing Political Tension and antigovernment protest which leaves an already unstable country heading into an uncertain future also coming up by