Opinion: Wildfire hazards are growing exponentially. Here's what we should do to reduce the risk. [Opinion]
Ph.D., is a retired land use attorney and planning consultant who has written widely on environmental issues. He lives in Point Loma.
Wildfire has become a year-round hazard throughout California and much of the West. In the not-so-distant past, we expected an uptick in wildfire in the summer and fall, and a tapering off as the usual rainy season took over in the winter and spring. Those expectations now feel like ancient history.While we currently are not facing anything as dramatic as the conflagrations that recently swept across Canada, our own experience demonstrates we are far from immune to such risks.
The “why” is concerned mainly with climate change. Scientists cannot be certain that any particular wildfire is the product of a warming climate, but the National Academy of Sciences study shows that the burned area of wildfires over the past 50 years is 172 percent greater than would have occurred under previously normal natural conditions.
Climate change effects are maddeningly compounding. On the one hand, a warmer climate promotes drought, turning historically lush forests and meadows into tinderboxes. Once they ignite, wildfires spread more rapidly than in the past and burn at temperatures that defy typical firefighting methods. While these fires would at one time have impacted primarily rural areas, the spread of development into the wildland-urban interface now makes entire communities vulnerable.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Our Generation Wants to Change How the U.S. Responds to Wildfires“There needs to be a continuous place for our generation in [responding to] a crisis that we're most impacted by.'
Read more »
Border 14 Fire: Wildfire in Mexico burns into US, Cal Fire crews respondA wildfire that began in Mexico Wednesday burned into the U.S. side of the border, prompting a response from Cal Fire crews.
Read more »
Utah agency creates map to show homeowners where there's a higher risk of wildfireIt's been a mild and wet year, but state firefighters are asking Utahns not to let that deceive them as it starts to dry out for the summer.
Read more »
Evacuations underway, structures threatened by wildfire in southern ArizonaWILDFIRE EVACUATIONS: Residents near Hereford, southeast of Sierra Vista are being evacuated as structures are threatened by a growing wildfire near Highway 92.
Read more »
Canadian wildfire smoke changed sky's color, not chemical releaseSocial media users are suggesting the orange-yellow haze seen over the United States in June 2023 was due to the release of ammonium nitrate, not Canadian wildfires. This is false; atmospheric scientists confirmed the blazes were to blame, saying smoke particles refract light to change the appearance of the sky.
Read more »