Forests Are A-flame

 Wild forest fires are appearing all over the world. The latest in the media headlines is now Algeria. Western North America, Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, Italy. Where next?

“This is what climate scientists have been warning about for years now,” says Park Williams, a hydroclimatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Drought and fire have always been a part in climates, but increasing heat, which scientists say is directly attributable to human-caused climate change, has had a devastating impact. “These things amplify each other,” Williams says, adding that the effects exponentially increase.

New research also suggests that the wildfires themselves will increase drought and heat, adding a new dimension to the catastrophic cycle. Researchers are discussing hypotheses, Andrew Hoell, a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains, that smoke and aerosols released into the atmosphere by wildfires can alter weather patterns. There are already studies that show wildfires influence the formation of clouds in the sky and could decrease precipitation.

Although more research is needed to better understand these complex relationships, the scientific record is clear that rising heat will lead to an increase in extreme events.

Heat, drought and fire: how climate dangers combine for a catastrophic ‘perfect storm’ | Climate crisis in the American west | The Guardian