It’s Getting Hot In Here… Actually Everywhere

Wildfires have been increasing in both size and number and are expected to continue to do so. “As the climate changes, the fire season is getting longer, now stretching from June through October in Europe,” reports Umair Irfan for Vox News.

Temperatures and fire destruction have gone off the charts. The National Weather Service sent warning of record breaking heat to the Southern U.S. just two weeks ago. The warm temperatures make it easier for the fires to burn. National Geographic explains, “there are three conditions that need to be present in order for a wildfire to burn, which firefighters refer to as the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source.” Dried out vegetation ignites as a highly effective fuel, and the fires damage very much very quickly.

The National Interagency Fire Center shows that currently 14 states have reported large fires: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. In just the last ten days, the Global Forest Watch System showed there were 28,267 fire alerts in the fire report for the United States.

Climate conditions are causing wildfires to spark in unexpected places, too. The United States is one of many countries fighting the flames.

Juliana A. August 7, 2018