New research: Possible future for Western wildfires: Decade-long burst, followed by gradual decline
In recent years, wildfires on the West Coast have become larger and more damaging. A combination of almost a century of fire suppression and hotter and drier conditions has created a tinderbox ready to ignite, destroying homes and polluting the air over large areas. New research led by the University of Washington and the University of California, Santa Barbara, looks at the longer-term future of wildfires under scenarios of increased temperature and drought … finds that there will be an initial roughly decade-long burst of wildfire activity, followed by recurring fires of decreasing area.