We had hoped the deadly wildfires last summer were an exception. However seasoned researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles say this is no longer the case. Their report appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paints a different picture. It says devastating Californian wildfires can now happen in any year,
Global Warming is the Root Cause of Deadly Wildfires
In times past, long wet winters soaked the timber making it harder for fires to spread. Whereas short, dry winters tipped authorities off, giving them time to prepare for deadly wildfires.
However increasing temperatures mean there is now more dry wood to burn. Moreover, previous efforts to contain fires have added to this dangerous situation. The researchers compared historic wildfires with the behavior of the North Pacific Jet Stream. This natural phenomenon delivers rain to California in winter. The scientists correlated fire and moisture patterns with the Jet Stream over the past 400 years.
What Their 400-Year Research Revealed
The scientists sourced their information from historic temperature, fire, and rainfall records. Then they went further back in time by examining “the natural archives of climate and fires contained in tree rings”. They were able to correlate the factors mentioned through to 1903. In other words, there were more deadly wildfires after dry winters.
From 1904 onward however, this situation changed. This was the year Washington introduced a fire suppression policy on federal land. By 1997, the relationship between the factors had disappeared completely. There’s a disconnect between the Jet Stream and fire, the scientists say. It appears as if the federal fire policy has accumulated vast piles of kindling.
All that a deadly wildfire now needs is a match, or a careless cigarette stub thrown from a vehicle window. However, in this instance it seems global warming has taken over as a common igniter of Californian wildfires.
Related
California Fires Call for More Green Energy
Biggest Natural Threats to Humanity’s Survival
Preview Image: Modern Day Wildfire
