Is Climate Change Driving the Wildfire Problem?

A new report by the National Wildlife Federation draws attention to how climate change and the century long practice of fire suppression have made forests vulnerable to uncharacteristic wildfires.

According to climate scientists, fire season lasts longer than it did about 20 years ago. Snow pack now melts earlier than it did 50 years ago. In the next 40 years, drier conditions are expected throughout western North America accompanied by a 3.6-9 degree F temperature increase. Thunderstorms are anticipated to be more severe, thereby leading to increases in lighting strikes.

So, yes, climate clearly has a role in the larger, more intense and longer wildfires that we have witnessed in the last decade here in the United States. But is that the whole story?

Wildfires are a problem insofar as they affect humans. If humans weren't here, then we wouldn't care how intense or long or big wildfires were. So what is the problem from a human standpoint?

Wildfires today cost more and usually entail greater human and property loss. Additionally, the US Forest Service has spent in excess of $1 billion in five of the last seven years fighting fires. When the Forest Service spends so much on fire fighting, that means they have less to spend on being proactive in addressing the problem. A vicious cycle is perpetuated. Until the Forest Service resolves its budget problems and can do more on the ground to manage its forests, we will be stuck paying for expensive wildfires.

The NWF report doesn't really address the role of more people living in the wildland urban interface (WUI), which also contributes to greater costs and wildfire risk. When more people live close to where wildfires occur, then resources have to be dedicated to protecting people and property and that drives up costs. Until counties, municipalities and homeowners take greater responsibility for what it means to live in hazardous areas, then the costs for wildfire will continue to rise.

The National Wildlife Federation suggests focusing on reducing greenhouse gasses as a policy solution. Focusing on climate change as a policy fix leaves us with a loooooong time horizon for resolution. We need to remedy the shorter term budget and management problems that make it difficult to manage the land sustainably.