Forest Service suffered from what historian Stephen Pyne calls “pyrophobia,” or the desire to suppress all wildfires (even the good ones). In the first half of the 20th century, the U.S. Unfortunately, the suppression of naturally occurring, low-intensity forest fires has actually aided in the ability for high-intensity wildfires to run rampant. Historically, wildfires are actually supposed to be beneficial to certain natural landscapes, clearing underbrush in forests and triggering the release of seeds in some plant species, such as the Jack pine. Since 1975 the number of fires ignited by lightning has increased between two and five percent. Scientists have found that every degree of global warming sets off a 12 percent bump in lightning activity. Four out of five wildfires are started by people, but dry weather, drought, and strong winds can create a recipe for the perfect disaster-which can transform a spark into a weeks- or months-long blaze that consumes tens of thousands of acres.Īnother possible cause of forest fires is lightning. Firefighters refer to it as the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Meteorologists aren’t yet able to forecast wildfire outbreaks, but there are three conditions that must be present in order for a wildfire to burn. Though the exact source of Sonoma County’s wildfires is unclear, authorities have pointed to the fact that 95 percent of fires in the state of California are started by people, according to CNN. ![]() As deadly wildfires continue to rage across Northern California’s wine country, with winds picking up speed overnight and worsening conditions to now include a combined 54,000 acres of torched land, it now seems more important than ever to understand how wildfires work, and their lasting implications on our health and the environment.
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