Alaskan Wildfires , Precede Potentially Devastating , Global Fire Season .
Fox reports that over 530 wildfires have
already torn through parts of Alaska this year,
burning an area roughly the size of Connecticut.
Fox reports that over 530 wildfires have
already torn through parts of Alaska this year,
burning an area roughly the size of Connecticut.
According to the report,
the worst of the annual
fire season still lays ahead. .
Long term forecasts show a pattern
similar to 2004, when a devastating fire season
burned 10,156 square miles of Alaska. .
Long term forecasts show a pattern
similar to 2004, when a devastating fire season
burned 10,156 square miles of Alaska. .
The frequency of these big seasons
has doubled from what it was in
the second half of the 20th century.
And there’s no reason to think
that’s not going to continue, Rick Thoman, Climate specialist with the Alaska Center
for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University
of Alaska’s International Arctic Research Center.
Fox reports that heat waves and
droughts have been exacerbated
by the world's warming climate.
As a consequence, destructive wildfires
have become more frequent and harder
to combat or even control.
In 2022, wildfires have already spread through
Portugal, Spain, France, England and Germany,
which have all experienced record-high temperatures.
In 2022, wildfires have already spread through
Portugal, Spain, France, England and Germany,
which have all experienced record-high temperatures.
In Alaska, early snow melt preceded
a largely rain-free June leading to dry
conditions ideal for sparking wildfires.
There’s been a significant increase
in the amount of fuel available, and
that’s from decades of warmer springs
and summers in the region,
direct result of a warming climate, Rick Thoman, Climate specialist with the Alaska Center
for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University
of Alaska’s International Arctic Research Center.
And, of course, fires with
more fuels available burn hotter.
They burn longer. They’re more
resistant to changes in weather, Rick Thoman, Climate specialist with the Alaska Center
for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University
of Alaska’s International Arctic Research Center
