Widespread drought in the U.S. sets up the ideal conditions for fire to spread—and humans are making it worse, experts say.
Kiley Price, Inside Climate News, November 12 2024
After a soaking peak hurricane season, much of the United States is now parched. At the end of October, the U.S. Drought Monitor found that around 87 percent of the contiguous U.S. was in the throes of abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions—a record high in the federal program’s 25-year history.
These continuing droughts go hand in hand with another environmental risk: wildfires. In recent weeks, a spate of these fires have broken out from California to New York, largely fueled by dried-out vegetation. Research shows that nearly 85 percent of wildland fires in the country are caused by human activities.
To make matters worse, recent data reveals that human-triggered fires are often more destructive and harder to contain than those that are sparked naturally. Experts say communities must make some major changes to avoid succumbing to the flames.
