In parts of Utah, wildfire season has gotten a month longer
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Hot, dry and windy weather that helps wildfires spread is becoming more common across much of the U.S. amid climate change, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: What used to be several months of "fire season" is stretching in some places into a yearlong phenomenon, straining fire departments and others tasked with controlling or containing wild blazes.
Driving the news: The number of "fire weather" days along most of the Wasatch Front rose by 12 to 15 days between 1973 and 2024, per an analysis from Climate Central, a climate research group.
- Throughout western Utah, fire weather days increased by 34.
Zoom out: That number rose by 37 in the southwestern US, and by 21 in the West.
- Some areas, including parts of Texas, California and New Mexico, now experience "around two more months of fire weather per year compared to a half century ago," the group says.
The other side: Fire weather days decreased in a handful of areas, such as central North Dakota (-12) and northern Maine (-8).
How it works: Climate Central's analysis is based on data from 476 nationwide weather stations and is broken down by 245 climate divisions across the continental U.S.
- The group defined a "fire weather day" as one with temperatures of at least 45°-55°F (depending on the season), relative humidity within 5% of regional thresholds, and sustained wind speeds of 15mph or more — all happening together during at least two hourly measurements on a given day.
Stunning stat: Human activities (unattended campfires, sparks from power lines, etc.) start a whopping 87% of wildfires, Climate Central says, citing the National Interagency Fire Center.
- Regardless of how a fire starts, fire weather can give them the push they need to spread and grow.
The big picture: Extreme wildfire events more than doubled in frequency and magnitude globally over the past two decades, a recent study found.
What's next: States like California and Idaho are preparing for what could be a challenging fire season as higher temperatures and faster winds risk turning even the smallest sparks into massive conflagrations