6 The Impacts of Climate Change on Wildfires

Overview

Since 2000, 15 forest fires have each caused at least &1 billion in damages in the United States^[1]. Wildfires have been a prevalent issue in the Pacific Northwest for decades. Wildfire seasons continue to break records as the fires become more destructive every year. These disasters affect the economy, public health, and ecosystems throughout the West, including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California state. To learn more about the history of wildfires and management policies, see the chapter at the end of this section. A number of research studies suggest that climate change has been a key factor in increasing the severity of wildfires. The ongoing climate crisis exacerbates the occurrence of heat waves and droughts and has doubled the number of large-scale wildfires between 1984 and 2015 in the Westcoast United States^[2]. Thick wildfire smoke in Cascadian locales in late summer results in the most hazardous air quality in the world. A chapter on air pollution can be found later in the section on wildfires. Studying the relationship between wildfires and climate change helps communities better understand the role of the Pacific Northwest forests in the climate justice movement. It is essential to advocate for the ever-changing environment around us and become prepared. This chapter explores the following topics: the role of wildfires, ecological changes, climate models and wildfire projections, anthropogenic effects on wildfire risks, and lastly, solutions and adaptations.

The Role of Wildfires

Wildfires are known to play an important role in the evolution of plants and animals in the Pacific Northwest^[3]. They are a natural part of the ecosystem because they clean the forest floor of debris and reduce nutrient competition. The forests are composed of vegetation in various stages of growth and regrowth, which is healthy as it prevents wildfires from burning through the region uniformly. Although some old-growth stands of trees have developed resilience to fire, high-intensity and repeated burns in recent years are causing significant damage to the forests. The extent of wildfire is closely related to several factors, including temperature, soil moisture, and the presence of organic matter. All these factors share direct or indirect ties to climate change. During a wildfire, numerous plant materials can become fuel, for instance, grasses, shrubs, trees, and pine needles^[4]. Fuels are getting drier, more volatile, and more abundant in the Pacific Northwest forests. Deadly wildfires are more likely to occur in short succession.

Ecological Changes

According to a study conducted by multiple ecologists in Seattle, longer fire seasons are expected in the Pacific Northwest forests due to climate change^[5]. The climate crisis leads to higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. The warming climate decreases soil moisture, as well as enhances the drying of organic material that spreads wildfires. There is also evidence suggesting that the intensity and frequency of re-burns would increase, because of warmer and dryer conditions. Typically, it takes years for forests to regrow after a wildfire. High chances of re-burns make it especially difficult for ecosystems to recover. Disturbance agents in forests are incidents such as droughts, they catalyze ecological changes more significantly in warmer weather. Great damage to vegetation and soils are done. A similar study by Westerling et al. agrees with the findings mentioned above. Longer and more drastic summer droughts in the western United States will contribute to an increase in the frequency of large wildfires, thus reducing tree densities and leading to changes in carbon pools^[6]. The capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide would be reduced. Essentially, the increase in wildfire activity due to predicted warming in the Pacific Northwest might worsen the enhanced greenhouse effect. Overall, climate change exacerbates the risk of wildfires and creates great challenges for regional ecosystems.

Climate Models and Wildfire Projections

Given the great power that wildfires hold, an article published by a nonprofit research and communications center named Sightline Institute discusses the links between human-caused climate change and wildfires. The scientific community has been studying wildfire factors and identifying general correlations, which allows them to develop models that contain climate variables, and then make projections about future wildfires. The climate models help people understand how rising concentrations of greenhouse gases affect temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and so on. Researchers could predict the location and severity of wildfires. The relationship between human-caused climate change and wildfires is highly complex, but certain correlations are well-established^[7]. Statistical research has demonstrated that significant declines in summer precipitation led to an increase in wildfire occurrence in the mountain ranges of the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. In addition, early snowmelt is believed to correlate with high wildfire frequency, since it provides opportunities for an early start of fire season.

Anthropogenic Effects on Wildfire Risk

The contribution of human activities to wildfires is worth further investigation. A major discovery found in the research of the University of California, Los Angeles is that, between 1979 and 2020, anthropogenic warming contributed twice as much as natural variability to the increase in fire risk^[8]. Human factors are much more significant than natural ones regarding the exacerbation of wildfires in the western United States. However, the relationship is complex. According to a publication by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies of NASA, there is little evidence about the human effect on droughts and precipitation deficits in the United States^[9]. But a human influence has been found, with a high degree of confidence, on soil moisture deficits during warmer weather. Furthermore, human-induced warming is to blame for earlier snow melts and the reduction of snow water, which leads to greater risks of wildfires in the Pacific Northwest forests.

Solutions and Adaptions

The issue of intensified wildfires in the Pacific Northwest is complicated to address. What is most urgent is to do all we can to curb climate change because this prevents the situation from worsening. As discussed in the previous paragraphs, higher wildfire risks are considerably attributed to human-induced warming. We should strive to solve global warming, which would make wildfires more predictable and less destructive. Taking action on the climate crisis eases the burden on wildfire management. Forest managers, community leaders, and policymakers have to take sustainability into consideration. It is exceptionally crucial that we protect the carbon storage in the Pacific Northwest forests. Given the substantial biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest, there are often no universal solutions to all the forests. Some common approaches include the thinning of dense forests, removing fuels, and prescribed burning. Additionally, a key approach is to empower indigenous communities and strengthen indigenous fire stewardship practices^[10]. For thousands of years, traditional knowledge that is precious has allowed the people to control fires.

Along with mitigating climate change and developing different approaches to wildfires themselves, adaptation is also important for regional populations. Measures could be taken to compensate for the destruction caused by intensified wildfires. The goal should be that both ecosystems and communities are able to recover and rebuild efficiently. Post-fire seeding can help initiate regrowth in forests, although further scientific research is needed. There are groups of people who are more vulnerable than others to the consequences of climate change. People with low incomes, women and children, people of color, and so on. These groups face challenges related to affordable and fire-safe housing in low-hazard areas^[11]. Communities could invest in air filtration systems in public buildings, preferably with support from state governments in the Pacific Northwest. Electric utility companies may improve equipment and infrastructure to avoid incidences such as large outages. Combating the intensified wildfires due to climate change requires collective effort and well-planned actions. Local organizations such as Got Green and Puget Sound Sage are at the forefront of advocating for climate justice.