My summer vacation is over. Not so this blazing summer.
Wildfires have already burned more than 600,000 hectares across the European Union. This is the second largest area since record keeping began in 2006.
Brazil’s Amazon forest deliberately set on fire to clear land for timber and cattle in August Highest level in the last 10 years.
There are about 120 notable fires in the western United States, including a very large one in California. California’s wildfire season traditionally peaks between July and October, but climate change makes that schedule less predictable. Dry wood provides plenty of fuel. The wind blows wildfires across the land.
My colleague Raymond Zohn was in the area earlier this year, following scientists from the Blodgett Forest Institute. He was there and he wrote about one of the ways to mitigate the raging wildfires of the Anthropocene.
Mosquito Fire is an important test of that strategy. I spoke with Ray last night.
Ray: If the Mosquito Fire reaches the Blodgett Forest Research Station I was recently reporting on, I would expect the flames to settle there a bit due to the recent prescription burns. The flame becomes weaker. The fire may continue to burn, but instead of engulfing houses and 50-foot pines, it stays close to the ground. that is hope.
Somini: Prescription burns mimic nature in a way. Indigenous communities in the western United States have long had prescribed burns, but that was before climate change and decades of fire fighting made fires as violent and unpredictable as they are today. What do we know about whether they are currently working?
Ray: Prescribed burns are highly effective in reducing the risk of devastating wildfires. They restored the forest to its former state, with low-intensity fires occurring fairly regularly, wiping out the shrubs and giving the ecosystem a chance to regenerate. has been adamant about putting out the fire. The forest is now overgrown and burning fiercely. So when wildfire starts, it gets stronger. Mature and healthy trees can be burned down.
Somini: So if I live in a wildfire prone area, should I encourage local officials to get more prescribed burns? Suggesting that, scientists are working hard to elucidate it.
Ray: Agencies such as the Forest Service are already aiming to burn far more fuel each year than before. But scientists are trying to find smarter ways to burn. Climate change is making forests hotter and drier throughout the year. If you want to burn more but have less time to do it each year, make sure you are burning in a way that maximizes the benefits to the forest while minimizing the smoke that can affect nearby communities. That’s where better science comes in.
Somini: all right. But they are also dangerous. A fire in New Mexico earlier this summer was caused by two prescribed burns. It was the largest fire in state history.
Ray: The majority of prescribed burns go according to plan and nobody gets hurt. Unfortunately, when things go wrong, the consequences can be very painful, like in New Mexico. acknowledged they are not keeping up with climate change.
Somini: We have been to the Sierra many times over the years, including this summer. The trees are old, but we are also strongly feeling the effects of human-induced climate change. It was so shocking that I wrote about it in this newsletter. Was there anything that left an impression on you during this interview trip?
Ray: If you drive over a mountain range, you can see dense trees in some places even from the road. It’s just a sight to behold and unbelievably majestic. It starts to look more dangerous than beautiful when you think about what would happen if the flames flared up.
Related:
-
More and more Americans are moving to areas with a higher risk of burns.
-
Wildfires are already raging in Southern California’s Riverside County. It also faces tropical storms that can bring flooding and landslides.
-
Aerial photos show the devastating aftermath of a factory fire in Weed, California.
Sign up for virtual events
The Times is running a series of virtual climate conferences for COP27, the major climate summit in Egypt this November. The first session will take place on September 20th with Al Gore and John Kerry. You can register to watch for free and check out the upcoming sessions.
Important news from The Times
Irreversible changes: A team of scientists say several climate “tipping points”, such as the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet, are likely to occur if global warming cannot be limited.
Burn the ancient forest: Europe is betting billions of dollars on burning wood pellets, possibly for renewable power. But a Times study found that this strategy would destroy large amounts of old-growth forest.
Supply chain disruption: The drought in China shows that climate change-fueled extreme weather is disrupting the global economy.
Ancient monuments resurface: A persistent drought has dried up the reservoir, exposing the ‘Spanish Stonehenge’, a tomb more than 5,000 years old.
Before You Go: Text Messages to the Rescue
27 million mobile phones said, “Unless you take action, there could be a power outage. gallons,” one official said.