What are wildfires?

Wildfires are big fires that happen in forests or grasslands, and they can spread really fast.

Imagine you're playing with a matchstick on a windy day. When it catches fire, the flame might jump from one leaf to another, like passing a toy from friend to friend. That’s what happens with wildfires, the fire starts small, but if there's dry fuel (like trees or grass) and wind to help it go, it can grow into a giant fire that moves across the land.

Think of a wildfire like a game of tag. The fire is the runner, and everything around it, trees, bushes, and grass, are the people being tagged. When the fire "tags" something, it lights it up, and then that new fire helps the original one run faster.

Sometimes wildfires can be started by lightning, or even a campfire that wasn’t put out properly. They can burn for days, turning green forests into smoke-filled skies, just like how a small flame in your hand can become a big bonfire if you let it grow.