A new study showed how wildfire danger is increasing globally as a result of climate change, but also how human decisions and policies may be very important in controlling regional effects.
According to the study, manmade climate change acts as a "push" element to increase the probability of wildfires worldwide.
Increase chances of wildfire
(Photo : BIROL BEBEK/AFP via Getty Images)
A multinational research team led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK performed the study, which demonstrated that human climate change is a "push" element that raises the danger of wildfires globally, as per ScienceDaily.
Climate change is increasing the hot, dry conditions that fuel flames, increasing the danger of big wildfires by making landscapes more prone to burning more frequently and more severely.
Future climate change consequences on fire risk are expected to worsen, with each additional degree increasing the danger of wildfires.
Climate models indicated that due to human-induced global warming of about 1.1°C, the frequency of fire weather conditions in particular global areas, such as the Mediterranean and Amazonia, is unprecedented compared to the recent past climate.
More significantly, if global temperatures continue on their current course, they will increase by 2°C to 3°C, and this will be the case in almost all parts of the planet.
Climate models have also demonstrated that past climate change has considerably increased the chance of some of the most recent and devastating wildfires in the western US, Australia, and Canada.
Scientists from the UEA, Swansea University, the University of Exeter, the Met Office in the UK, the CSIRO Climate Science Centre in Australia, as well as coworkers from the US, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, collaborated on the article, which was published today in the journal Reviews of Geophysics.
It looks at how historical, current, and future fire patterns relate to a variety of factors that might affect fire activity, including climate, human activity, land use, and shifting vegetation productivity, all of which have a significant influence on how wildfires start and spread across landscapes.
Also Read: Study Shows How Wildfire Triggers Major Forest Changes
How can we stop wildfires?
The region between your house and the nearby trees and grass is known as the defensible space.
You may lessen the likelihood that your home will catch fire by altering how you care for your home and property, as per Red Cross.
Of course, even if we could put an end to all wildfires started by people, there would still be a risk from natural occurrences like lightning.
Techniques to prevent a spark or lightning strike from igniting an uncontrolled fire should also be included in prevention efforts.
Fortunately, people can lessen the possibility that a small fire would turn into a wildfire by carefully planning and maintaining the landscape surrounding our houses.
Making use of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) zone concept, people could create a defensible area around their houses.
Consult a local landscaper or this state-by-state list of fire-resistant plants on the Firewise website of the National Fire Protection Association.
To lessen the likelihood of flames bursting between bushes and trees, provide some open space between them.
Remove dead branches from trees and prune them to a height of six to 10 feet above plants and shrubs.
Regularly cut the grass in grassy areas so that it never grows higher than four inches.
Remove fallen leaves, pine cones, and other dry plant detritus as well as dead and dry plants that could start a fire.
Related article: Wildfire Burn Scars Can Initiate Thunderstorms, Increasing Risk of Flooding
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