About: Root fire

A root fire (also known as a ground fire) is a wildfire caused by the burning of tree roots. It is a wildfire caused through underground burns generally triggered by off-trail camping or other causes. They can pose an often overlooked dangerous threat. Because a root fire burns underground, its smoke may appear just as smouldering indistinguishable from the wake of a forest fire. These fires can reignite a wildfire or cause other natural hazards, and are also dangerous to humans and animals if trodden over, because the extreme heat can cause the soil to collapse.