Fast-moving wildfires emerge as growing threat in western U.S.: research

Sacramento [US], October 26: Rapidly spreading wildfires were responsible for nearly 90 percent of fire-related damages in the United States over two decades, posing an increasing risk to western communities, showed a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.
The study, published on Thursday in Science magazine, found a 250 percent increase in the average peak daily growth rate of the fast-moving fires in the western United States from 2001 to 2020.
"We hear a lot about mega fires because of their size, but if we want to protect our homes and communities, we really need to appreciate and prepare for how fast fires move," said Jennifer Balch, lead author of the study and associate professor of geography at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Using satellite data to analyze over 60,000 fires, researchers discovered that blazes classified as "fast fires," which can spread embers ahead of rapidly advancing flames, represented only 2.7 percent of total fires but caused 88 percent of home destructions between 2001 and 2020.
The study found that the most destructive fires exhibited growth rates exceeding 8,500 hectares in a single day.
The findings emphasized the need for communities to develop robust evacuation plans and strengthen home defenses against rapidly advancing fires.
Experts suggested better early-warning systems could help protect residents, particularly after incidents like the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, which burned through approximately 22,257 hectares in less than 12 hours.
Scientists attributed the increasing speed of fires partly to climate conditions. "It takes just a little bit of warming to lead to a lot more burning," Balch explained.
Source: Xinhua