Does global warming have anything to do with the wildfires in California?
Jack B asked:
It seems like there are more and more every year. Does this have anything to do with global warming? I live in an area of California that’s hilly and hear forests…I’m kind of getting scared now.
It seems like there are more and more every year. Does this have anything to do with global warming? I live in an area of California that’s hilly and hear forests…I’m kind of getting scared now.
The drier a climate is, the more easily fires spread. The drier a climate is, the more likely lightning is to strike and cause a fire.
December 7th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Global warming COULD be responsible for a higher frequency of droughts in your area.
Droughts and wildfires are very tightly correlated for obvious reasons.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Partially. Drought, and lack of wildlife makes the area drier… So it tends to catch fire more easily.
December 12th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
The simple answer is yes. El Nino event brings rain up to california. Global warming can disrupt this event and cause drought. It’s drought that causes more wild fires usually. This is why we have seen record breaking number of wild fires in Cali (and other areas) over the past decade.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Not proven. Fires are an annual occurence in California and have been for a long time. The only difference now is that people are living there and not properly maintaining their properties as far as cutting back brush and trees, and changing folliage to less flammable types.
The site below is from the California Department of Forestry and contains the codes for wildland/urban inferfaces.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
No. The stupid ignorant answer would be yes and El Nino didn’t start because of global warming. The only reason they are more common is because they put them out and that leaves fuel to burn next year.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:54 am
It’s hard to say, but over population has more to do, then global warming. We are draining water from the environment. Also disease we bring from foreign countries are more of a factor. A lot of our trees are infested with non-native insects.
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:29 am
No, on my way into work I heard that at least one of the fires was caused by humans and most likely all of them were. The only fires that start on their own are caused by lightning striking a tree.
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:50 am
The problem with wild fires in the west is not a climate problem, but instead a problem with stupid laws written and put in place over the last 50 years by environmentalists. These very dumb laws require maintaining what is called a natural virgin wilderness. The result of this is where people used to go through wilderness areas and forests removing dead scrub brush and trees and graze goats, cattle and sheep there to keep the trash would down they are no longer allowed to do this and can be tossed in jail if they do so. Same with the Hispanic and Indian charcoal makers who used the dead wood to make charcoal and the dead scrub to cook the charcoal.
Before environmentalists came along the world took care of itself quite well through natural means, but then with stupid ill considered laws we now have firestorms trying to correct for the mistakes of the liberals. I just hope that the houses that burned were those of the idiots who got those virgin wilderness laws passed and if not it should have been theirs.
December 22nd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
As average temperatures increase, soil dries out so the vegetation dries out and the vegetation is more vulnerable to fires. So if someone driving by a dried area throws a lit cigarette or flame out the window, it can cause the fire to spread easier.