How do open fires endanger the natural environment of a park?

Question

how do open fires or unleashed pets could endanger the natural environment of a park?

Answer 1

Absolutely you have never been camping.Dogs are never off leash and if they are they can be reported and the ranger will do something about it.Most campfires are always in a cleared area,by burning the under brush thats found on the ground you actually protect the forrest from fires getting out of control.As for dog p**p you clean it up.Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.

Answer 2

if a spark fform the fire pops out and lands on grass, presto! an instant wildfire. fires are never somethign to joke around with. dont' be stupid.

Answer 3

Wind conditions can change and a fire in a contained area can quickly become out of control and a threat to people living or working in the park.  In some camping parks, people aren't always sober when they burn a fire.  Sleeping bags, tents, chairs -- things can catch fire and drunks aren't going to be much help in extinguishing what they started.  Starting fires any which way wherever you want is inviting many problems.  If chemicals are present in the wood or lighting material, those chemicals can infiltrate the water supply.  

Unleashed pets: I live in southern California, where open space is now contained in islands of habitat sometimes linked by swaths of land.  The animals in these areas are now confined to patches that barely support the populations of animals that live there.  Dogs urinating can alter the natural behavior of animals like coyote or deer.  Dogs uncontrolled can kill squirrels and rabbits that provide sustinance for omnivores and carnivores.  They can carry disease, as in the case of the Santa Cruz Island kit fox.  Your dog could pick up Lyme disease bearing ticks.

I encourage you to talk to a park ranger or camp host and have them explain their policy to you in detail.  Parks have a lot of rules, granted, but there are reasons for the rules.  Parks are managed for humans and for wildlife.  When people break the rules, they make life harder for the wildlife and the people responsible for protecting that area from harm.

Answer 4

You could burn the forest down, duh.  And your dog could trample native vegetation, or spread disease thru it's stool.

Answer 5

wow, bunch of ignorant people when it comes to the definition of 'natural' huh??????  :)   We put out natural fires so the woods get too thick...  then we say it is too dangerous to have fires - that 'might' get out of control - that would make the place 'normal' and 'natural' again :)  Dog p**p is good for grass...  How many deer are there in the park - not too many because of all the people...   Seems like a p**p shortage to me...  need more dogs at the park!!!

Good question... bad answers so far....

Answer 6

an open fire may become uncontrollable and cause much damage to the natural process of the fauna as for dogs they could damage, remove or kill endangered wildlife.