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Wildfires are burning in California. And Oregon. And Washington. And Arizona.
While fire is a restorative force that can ultimately revitalize ecosystems, it has been increasingly destructive and deadly in the West, fueled by extreme heat and persistent drought.
BIDEN ANNOUNCES BOOST IN FEDERAL FIREFIGHTER PAY TO $15 AN HOUR AHEAD OF 2021 WILDFIRE SEASON
The scorched black shadows of trees still line the hills and mountains of the Golden State — a year-round reminder of looming danger.
The threat of wildfires to residents of the West is now seemingly omnipresent. It lingers long after the smoke has passed and the skies have turned crimson.
Homes are damaged in the blazes, memories go up in smoke and neighbors whose houses were miraculously untouched — just out of reach — are left to ponder the “what ifs?”
The deadly Napa and Sonoma counties wildfires in 2017 took a toll on the state’s important wine industry, with businesses still recovering from the financial wreckage years later.
“Human-induced climate change is projected to continue, and it will accelerate significantly if global emissions of heat-trapping gases continue to increase,” said NOAA.
In looking at changes in heat waves, floods and droughts, NOAA researchers found that heat waves were occurring more often, as cold snaps decrease.
Over the month of June, multiple heat waves in the West set numerous records, with triple-digit temperatures in the normally temperate Pacific Northwest and northern Plains.
As sweltering and oppressive weather bared down on the region — killing hundreds in the U.S. and western Canada, many of whom were found alone in homes without air conditioning or fans — drought conditions worsened.
According to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor report, more than 47% of the country is currently in some form of drought, with a shocking 93% of the West: the highest percentage for the region this century.
Almost 60% of the West is in either “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions, and it’s not expected to let up outside of an influx of moisture and precipitation across southern Arizona and New Mexico.
“If we really start to see our monsoon activity pick up, I think we won’t see as many acres burned as we did last year,” she said.
Last year’s wildfire season was the second-worst in Arizona since 2011, with 1,087 fires and 544,113 acres burned.
Fire crews are currently fighting at least eight blazes, ranging from 25 acres to a couple thousand acres, including the Backbone, Tiger, Castle and Rafael fires and others sparked by lightning.
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Another difference this year is that there are closures in place in the state, with recreational use barred on most Forest Service and all state lands.
Temperatures in Arizona have played a role in decision-making as vegetation in the state is “pretty much a tinderbox,” according to Davila.
Phoenix set a record for the hottest June in the city’s history.
“Due to the lack of precipitation that we have had, it’s basically kindling,” she said. ” So, when you take the drought-stricken fuel coupled with the extreme heat, the wind that we’ve had this year and then — in some places, you know, where a fire may start — the topography, the terrain: all of that can go into how active a fire is.”
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