Photo: Forest fire near Fairbanks, Alaska. © 2004 Delena Norris-Tull
Wildfires in the Western USA
In recent years, high summer temperatures and drought, both exacerbated by climate change, have resulted in the hottest, driest summers, particularly in Western and Southern States, in recorded history. Extended wildfire seasons have punctuated the critical need to reduce wildfires. In summer 2017, for example, a number of Western States, including Montana, used up their State funds to fight wildfires long before the fire season came to an end. And in warmer, Southern states, including California, the summer fire season now extends well into late fall. Indeed, in places like Montana, the fires are not abated until enough snow falls to assist in extinguishing them.
Massive forest fires, especially since 2012 and continuing each summer since then, in California, Oregon, and Washington, have caused billions of dollars of damage to human habitations and the loss of lives of humans and wildlife, and extensive damage to fish and wildlife habitats. 2020 has been the worst fire season yet, with massive fires now occurring in Colorado. In 2012, all Federal Agencies combined spent $6.8 billion fighting Western fires. By 2015, the US Forest Service was spending over half of its budget fighting forest fires.
In 2015, over one million acres burned in the State of Washington, and Washington had 1541 fires, with 59 of those classified as large fires. In 2015, over 600,000 acres burned in Oregon, and Oregon had 2,273 fires, with 43 classified as large fires (Talk by Richy J. Harrod, “Wildfire Trends in Washington”).
In 2018, 8.7 million acres burned in California, about 2 million more acres per year than in the previous decade. The California Camp Fire in 2018 killed 88 people, cost $15 billion, and destroyed over 18,500 structures. The combined cost of damages from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires in California was estimated at $40 billion.
And then came 2020. Many States, including Arizona, California, had record high temperatures once again. Combined with prolonged drought, California, Washing, Colorado, and Oregon had a fire season unlike anything ever seen previously.
Invasive plant species have the potential to alter various aspects of fire regimes, including alterations to the type of fire, and alterations to fire frequency, intensity, or seasonality. Depending on the type of plant, invasive plants can alter the amount of fuel in an area, the small-scale packing ratio (density) of the fuel, or the continuity of fuel across the landscape (Brooks, et al., 2004).
In 2014, under the Obama Administration, the US Departments of the Interior and Agriculture released a joint report on the “Administration’s National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.” The strategies were developed in partnership with Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies. The strategies include: fire prevention measures, such as fuels thinning and controlled burns, promoting effective zoning ordinances, and ensuring that watersheds, transportation and utility corridors are part of future management plans. These strategies expand on “The President’s Climate Action Plan” of 2013 which had a focus on reducing wildfires.
In order to understand what is happening in today’s world related to wildfires, we need to start with a basic understanding of forest and rangeland ecosystems and the role of fire in those ecosystems.
References:
Links to further information on wildfires:
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Wildfires in the Western USA
In recent years, high summer temperatures and drought, both exacerbated by climate change, have resulted in the hottest, driest summers, particularly in Western and Southern States, in recorded history. Extended wildfire seasons have punctuated the critical need to reduce wildfires. In summer 2017, for example, a number of Western States, including Montana, used up their State funds to fight wildfires long before the fire season came to an end. And in warmer, Southern states, including California, the summer fire season now extends well into late fall. Indeed, in places like Montana, the fires are not abated until enough snow falls to assist in extinguishing them.
Massive forest fires, especially since 2012 and continuing each summer since then, in California, Oregon, and Washington, have caused billions of dollars of damage to human habitations and the loss of lives of humans and wildlife, and extensive damage to fish and wildlife habitats. 2020 has been the worst fire season yet, with massive fires now occurring in Colorado. In 2012, all Federal Agencies combined spent $6.8 billion fighting Western fires. By 2015, the US Forest Service was spending over half of its budget fighting forest fires.
In 2015, over one million acres burned in the State of Washington, and Washington had 1541 fires, with 59 of those classified as large fires. In 2015, over 600,000 acres burned in Oregon, and Oregon had 2,273 fires, with 43 classified as large fires (Talk by Richy J. Harrod, “Wildfire Trends in Washington”).
In 2018, 8.7 million acres burned in California, about 2 million more acres per year than in the previous decade. The California Camp Fire in 2018 killed 88 people, cost $15 billion, and destroyed over 18,500 structures. The combined cost of damages from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires in California was estimated at $40 billion.
And then came 2020. Many States, including Arizona, California, had record high temperatures once again. Combined with prolonged drought, California, Washing, Colorado, and Oregon had a fire season unlike anything ever seen previously.
Invasive plant species have the potential to alter various aspects of fire regimes, including alterations to the type of fire, and alterations to fire frequency, intensity, or seasonality. Depending on the type of plant, invasive plants can alter the amount of fuel in an area, the small-scale packing ratio (density) of the fuel, or the continuity of fuel across the landscape (Brooks, et al., 2004).
In 2014, under the Obama Administration, the US Departments of the Interior and Agriculture released a joint report on the “Administration’s National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.” The strategies were developed in partnership with Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies. The strategies include: fire prevention measures, such as fuels thinning and controlled burns, promoting effective zoning ordinances, and ensuring that watersheds, transportation and utility corridors are part of future management plans. These strategies expand on “The President’s Climate Action Plan” of 2013 which had a focus on reducing wildfires.
In order to understand what is happening in today’s world related to wildfires, we need to start with a basic understanding of forest and rangeland ecosystems and the role of fire in those ecosystems.
References:
- Brooks, M.L., D’Antonio, C.M., Richardson, D.M., Grace, J.B., Keeley, J.E., DiTomaso, J.M., Hobbs, R.J., Pellant, M., & Pyke, D. (July, 2004). Effects of invasive alien plants on fire regimes. BioScience, 54 (7):677-688.
Links to further information on wildfires:
Next Sections: