Fire has always been a part of natural forest ecosystems and is an important complementary process to decay in removing dead biomass that would otherwise prevent new growth. Both processes release carbon dioxide, water and heat. While natural fires brought about by phenomena such as lightning and volcanoes are processes which can be considered as an integral part of natural ecosystems, most fires these days are man-caused, and their overwhelming number has upset the natural process. The environmental impact of fires on carbon dioxide production has been highlighted increasingly in recent years. Such major releases of carbon dioxide must be avoided.
Fires caused by man can be accidental or on purpose.
While pyromaniacs do exist, most deliberate fires are intended to deliver some benefit - better grazing for a shepherd's flock or clearing woodland for agriculture or housing. To obtain an overview of the causes of fires, comprehensive records must be kept. All Mediterranean Member States do just that, and report the figures back to the European Commission in Brussels. This was a pilot project preparing for a Community forest-fire information system. Role of EU research European research into forest fires started slowly in the 1960s and 1970s and concentrated on the ecological role of fire.