Fires, both man-made and natural, contribute to forest loss. Fire is the oldest method used to clear land for farming and other uses, and it is still widely used in many countries. This is a concern not only because of the added threat to biodiversity and other natural systems, but deforestation - especially by fire - is also a key emitter of carbon dioxide. These realities have brought about a greater sense of the importance of understanding how forests should be managed to ensure health and sustainability. Current practices use a combination of containment measures in an attempt to balance the importance of periodic fires to ecosystem health and the danger of uncontrolled burns to human communities.