Many Pacific nations face similar conditions to Maui, where flammable African grasses have overtaken land cleared for agriculture. In New Caledonia, communities are now planting fire-resistant trees that can act as green fire breaks and slow the spread of blazes.
"Many Pacific islands have this problem where forest or woody vegetation has been cleared away, farmland might have been abandoned, and it becomes overrun with these robust, often African grasses that are highly flammable," according to David Bowman, a fire expert from the University of Tasmania.
"Climate is a very important contributor to wildfire. But fuel is also very important," Dr Bowman said.Planting the right type of trees could provide a solution, researchers hope.Cédric Haverkamp, the terrestrial program manager for Conservation International in New Caledonia, is leading an initiative to plant thousands of fire-retardant trees on the south, east and west coasts of the French territory.
The trees commonly grow near water, but the teams are trialling planting them in drier inland areas. Aboriginal Indigenous fire practices — such as cool and cultural burning — are also a source of knowledge in combating fires in Australia by managing the landscape.Dr Bowman highlighted other methods, such as encouraging animals to graze and deplete flammable grass, while their hooves can help break down potential fuel.
"If the soil is barren [and] dry, it's a one-way exchange — the soil helps dry out that fuel, which means the fire comes along and the fire intensity is potentially higher," he said.
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