Wildfires are severe conditions that can inflict significant damages in lives and communities, especially in more wildfire prone areas such as western North America and southern regions of Australia.
These fires are a natural condition, but because of the current standing of the earth with regards to the changing climate, researchers believe that they will not only become more frequent, but could also be more damaging and severe.
A new study finds that in the 23 million fires in the years between 2003 and 2012, 478 of these were especially severe incidents. Among the 478 fire incidents, 144 of them have inflicted severe social and economic damages to the affected areas, 96 percent of which were caused by weather conditions such as drought.
Goldilocks Zone
Wildfires occur when certain conditions that are perfect for a fire are met. Too dry of an environment would not provide enough vegetation to fuel the fire, and too much water would simply not do. But when the conditions are just right, a simple ignition could spark the beginning of a disaster.
Researchers believe that because of the effects of global warming, there will be more opportunities for these events to occur and increase the seasonal windows for the perfect conditions for a fire, increasing the changes by up to 35 percent. Further, although parts of Australia and the U.S. are more prone to these disasters, areas not usually prone to wildfires such as the Mediterranean could possibly experience these disasters in the future.
"It acts as a threat multiplier," says John Abatzaglou, co-author of the study.
Suburbs More Susceptible
Authors of the study believe that the reason why suburbs are more susceptible to extreme fires is mainly because of their location. Developers of suburban homes usually locate their projects in places that are more vulnerable to fires -surrounding flammable forests. As such, residents in these areas are more prone to experiencing extreme fire disasters that could lead to loss of property or even life. The authors suggest targeted mitigation and adaptation strategies that can lead to community resilience and peaceful coexistence with the environment.
Current State: Australian Heat Wave
Australia has been experiencing a significantly severe heat wave across the country, already hitting North South Wales. While other areas of Australia are experiencing heavy rains and flooding, areas affected by the heat wave could experience temperatures of up to 40 degrees. As such, fire fighters are already on standby and on high alert in case of fire.
