Atmo-1010

Fall 2018
Amanda Wittke
December 7, 2018

Wildfires Across the Western US

The Impact of Global Warming on a Natural Process

Wildfires are a historically natural part of our ecosystem. Occasionally, these fires are

started naturally and without human involvement. However, in 2017 88% of wildfires were

caused by humans according to Smokeybear.com. A naturally occurring wildfire would most

likely begin by a lightning strike. These fires can certainly be devastating but they can also be

beneficial in many ways. The density of the forests can have a large impact on the ecosystem

within. A forest that is too dense can actually inhibit some species of plants (and animals

dependent on those plants) from thriving. According to Mountain Studies Institute, a too dense

forest may become prone to disease or drought. The dense vegetation may also increase a

possible fire’s intensity. Wildfires are responsible for many beneficial impacts.

Figure 1: Taken by a friend of mine who claims that wildfires can be beneficial to hunting
certain types of game. Photo credit: Zac Clayton
 Wildfires clear meadows, they allow more sunlight into otherwise too densely forested

areas, and they even encourage new growth by stimulating and fertilizing the soils. These events

can recreate entirely new ecosystems. However, some areas that have been affected by these fires

may take many, many years to fully recover. Many regions in our country have plants or trees

that not only thrive after wildfires but are actually dependent on them. Prescribed fires are

intentional fires that are allowed to burn naturally as long as conditions remain stable and the fire

remains under control. These are still used in controlled areas in order to maintain proper

ecosystems.

Adding to the complexities of wildfires is the impact on the modern-day human

population. Even a naturally occurring wildfire can’t be allowed to burn down dozens or more

homes that may cross its path if it can be prevented. As urban developments continue to spread,

and many people choose to decentralize and build in the midst of heavy foliage, any possible

fires are only fueled by these structures. This worry is further exaggerated by the reality of global

warming and its impact on our ecosystem. Global warming has the definite potential to impact

wildfires. Studies of wildfire trends indicate that they may already be on the rise and scientists

confirm a surge of wildfires in the last decade. The Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that

wildfire seasons are expected to be drawn out longer than in years past. Additionally, a wildfire

now has greater potential for increased severity and intensity. An article written by Derek Mallia

(2016) for Physics Today echoes these findings, stating that the length of wildfire season may

have already increased by up to 64%. Frequency of wildfires seems to be in direct correlation

with seasons of early snow melt. In short, the earlier the snow melts in the spring, the more

frequent the fires and the longer the wildfire season. As we know, early snow melt is a direct

reflection of global warming.

 The causes of the increase in fires may not be climate change alone. While we certainly

cannot discount global warming’s role, there may be other factors. According to

Smokeybear.com, other causes may be related to this increase as well. Complexities have arisen

in extinguishing these fires due to the rapid growth of urban areas. This complicates techniques

commonly used for fighting wildfires. Also, with conservation efforts and lack of funding it has

become more difficult to enforce treatment programs to manage fuels such as branches, dead

leaves, and overgrowth. These things individually can be very dangerous in the event of a fire

but combined, they create “ladder fuels” which can quickly grow a fire from ground level to

canopy and to the tops of the trees.

While we’ve briefly discussed the benefits of naturally occurring wildfires, the increase

in frequency and the increase in severity is not “natural”. The potential damages of too frequent

and too severe wildfires go beyond our forests. It goes beyond structural damage and displaced

families. Although families and homes are the most important and the top priority when facing a

wildfire, there are invisible repercussions as well… The air we breath continues to diminish in

quality. Air pollution will only continue to accelerate. It was estimated that healthcare costs

associated with the effects of smoke from fires in Southeast Asia from 1997-98 was around $1

billion. This was an example given in Science Magazine, Bowman (2009). While it is not

directly reflective of the Western US, the effects of smoke and haze from wildfires here certainly

have the same costly repercussions. This is especially evident in the Salt Lake Valley where the

effects are not always invisible. The inversion we suffer from here is a harsh and sometimes

painful reminder of these effects. Those with health conditions such as asthma are at even greater

risk. The bar graph on the next page (figure 2) depicts the level of risk to our natural resources

related to the proximity of a wildfire to an urban area.

 Figure 2: depicts the level of risk to our natural resources related to the proximity of
a wildfire to an urban area. Credit: HEADWATERS ECONOMICS, Wildfire
Increasingly an Urban Issue

According to a map in Geophysical Research Letters (figure 3, below), the average

occurrence of large wildfires is steadily increasing in most areas of the western United States. A

very stark increase is seen in the area of the Arizona/ New Mexico mountains. Other areas such

as the Rocky Mountains still show a gradual increase but with a slight decrease from 2007 to

about 2010. I would predict however, that if the data continued through the present year the

increase would be very evident once again. One factor of the decrease in numbers could also be

that our firefighting techniques have advanced and thanks to our firefighters, many of these

wildfires are stopped before they’re able to gain enough momentum to become devastating. In an

article published in Urban.org it states that since 1960 there have been only seven years when

wildfire damages have surpassed 8.5 million acres. All seven of these years have occurred since

2005.
 Figure 3: shows the average occurrence of large wildfires is steadily increasing in most areas
of the western United States Credit: AGU PUBLICATIONS, Geophysical Research Letters

It is estimated that the cost of firefighting efforts costs often rises over $1 billion dollars

annually. Coupled with the destruction of hundreds of homes every year, it’s apparent that these

techniques alone are not enough to spare us from the relentless wildfire seasons that we’ve seen

recently. Try as they might, conditions have just been so ideal for wildfires to gain the

momentum and ferocity that they need. The recent fires in California are sad proof of this. Even

earlier this year in our own back yard. These fires spread so rapidly and given the right winds

and the right fuel, they can be nearly impossible to combat. In a single month last year 245,000

acres in Northern California were destroyed by wildfires. Along with 8,700 buildings/ structures.

42 people were killed. In a single month. Because of the extremely dry conditions in the west

over the last 15 years, fires are only expected to continue in frequency and intensity. There is
belief that if there were more government funding toward preventive techniques such as cutting

brush and clearing dead trees, leaves etc. the expenditures would be well worth the money saved

in firefighting efforts.

In summary, wildfires have historically been a natural and necessary part of our

ecosystem. Our planet is essentially made of fuel for wildfires. Much of the vegetation on Earth

is rich in carbon, and with the dry summers in the western US, combined with lightning storms,

it is ultimately the perfect environment for hosting frequent wildfires. However, our ecosystem is

fragile and has been made even more so by global warming. It is no longer able to so quickly

recover and with increasing frequency and severity of wildfires due to increasing temperatures,

we are only adding insult to injury. Wildfires themselves have a huge impact on our climate and

ecosystem. The gasses and carbon aerosols that are released by fires absorb solar radiation which

in turn warms the troposphere Fire in the Earth System, Bowman (2009).

From my readings and understanding I would conclude that these trends will continue to

rise. It’s been suggested with fair evidence that trends are already on the rise and if we keep

doing nothing to help the environment, then it is only going to get worse. The state of the

atmosphere is fragile and viable to frequent wildfires. Frequent wildfires increase levels of

carbon feedback and thus the cycle continues. While there is a huge human impact to this

increase, the largest most inexcusable factor seems to be global warming. However, with such a

great and known threat we should be taking more precautions now than ever. We need to be

more cognizant of the state of our forest and lands and help to remove threats. Areas of dried

grasses should be kept low to the ground to prevent the forming of ladder fuels. Dead trees and

vegetation should be periodically cleared out. Building materials should be reconsidered and

safer alternatives found. Of course, pollution has an immense impact on our atmosphere as well.
Carpooling or biking, public transit, recycling and using more ecofriendly products are all ways

that we can make a real difference. We may not be able to reverse the damage that has already

been done but there is no reason that we cannot keep it from getting worse. We should be taking

drastic measures at this point. Not only because of the impact of climate change on wildfires but

the impact on wildlife. There are many species that are being directly affected by global

warming. More government funds should go into maintaining these lands rather than funneling

money only into fighting these fires when it’s already too late.
 Works Cited

Bowman, D. M., Balch, J. K., Artaxo, P., Bond, W. J., Carlson, J. M., & Cochrane, M. A. (2009,

April 24). Fire in the earth system. Science Magazine, 324, 481-484. doi:10.1126/science.

1163886

Dennison, P. E., Brewer, S. C., Arnols, J. D., & Moritz, M. A. (2014, April 25). Large wildfire tents

in the western united states, 1984-2011. Geophysical Research Letters, 2928-2933.

doi:10.1002/2014gl059576

Early Spring's Domino Effect. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2018, from

https://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/springs-domino-

effect.html#.XAilzWhKiUl

Elements of Fire. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2018, from https://smokeybear.com/en/about-

wildland-fire/fire-science/elements-of-fire

Forest and Fire Ecology. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2018, from

http://www.mountainstudies.org/forest-and-fire-ecology/

Is Global Warming Fueling Increased Wildfire Risks? (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2018, from

https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/impacts/global-warming-and-

wildfire.html#.XAilzWhKiUl

More, bigger wildfires burning western U.S., study shows. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2018, from

https://news.agu.org/press-release/more-bigger-wildfires-burning-western-u-s-study-shows/
Peiffer, E. (2017, October 27). California's devastating wildfires reveal how urban sprawl can

endanger communities. Retrieved December 7, 2018, from https://www.urban.org/urban-

wire/californias-devastating-wildfires-reveal-how-urban-sprawl-can-endanger-communities

Westerling, Hidalgo, A., Cayan, H., Swetnam, D., & T.w. (2006, August 18). Warming and earlier

spring increase western U.S. forest wildfire activity. Science, 313, 940-943.

Western US wildfires in an increasingly warming climate. (2016, May 25). Retrieved December 06,

2018, from https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.5.4021/full/

Wildfire Increasingly an Urban Issue. (2018, December 05). Retrieved December 7, 2018, from

https://headwaterseconomics.org/wildfire/homes-risk/wildfire-increasingly-an-urban-issue/