Climate change is increasing the risk of wildfires

Nov 29, 2018

A firefighter wears a flame resistant uniform as wildfire burns in the town of Rafina, near Athens, Greece, July 23, 2018. REUTERS/Costas Baltas SEARCH "POY GLOBAL" FOR FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2018 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. - RC132F0E53B0

There are multiple reasons why wildfires are getting more severe and destructive. Image: REUTERS/Costas Baltas

Jonathan Overpeck

Distinguished Professor of Science, and Regents' Professor of Geosciences, Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona

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The cumulative forest area burned by wildfires has greatly increased between 1984 and 2015, with analyses estimating that the area burned by wildfire across the western United States over that period was twice what would have burned had climate change not occurred.

Image: USGCRP, NCA4, Vol. 2

Dozens of wildfires in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana can be seen in this Terra satellite image taken on Aug. 27, 2017.

Image: NASA

A massive die-off of pinyon pines in New Mexico’s Jemez Mountains, caused by drought in 2002-2003. By October 2002 pinyons, normally evergreen, had reddish-brown foliage (left). By May 2004 dead pinyons had lost all their needles, exposing gray trunks.

Image: USGS/C. Allen

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