Fire-sensitive plants: a threat to the chaparral biome?

Question

An invasion by fire-sensitive plants is a threat to the chaparral biome.

What does it mean to be “fire-sensitive”? Could someone please explain why that is?

Answer 1

Fire-sensitive plants are easily inflammable, most often they contain essential oils like junipers f.e.

In the chaparral biome and its hot dry summers are these plants dangerous for all the other flora, because of the densely-growing vegetation, the heath of a burning juniper would inflame even a normally fire resistant dry shrub.

If you are interested in more details:

http://ag.arizona.edu/OALS/ALN/aln54/rac...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaparral