Brush Fires are more of an environmental problem than you think

This map from Science magazine shows the frequency and extent of fires over 7 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Data came from Europe's SPOT satellite, which registers how burning of vegetation changes the reflectance of Earth's surface. The majority of fires on the planet are lit by humans for clearing land, burning crop stubble, scaring up game, and introducing ash for fertilizer. Around the world, up to 4.5 million square kilometers of vegetation--an area larger than India--burn every year,