Experts are warning of an early and potentially disastrous fire season in Australia, as the threat of an El Niño looms and we're seeing "fires in places we've never had them before".
In a state covered with 22 million acres of forests — about half of Washington — wildfires are a fact of life that predate the arrival of humans in the area. But recent years have made clear that conditions have changed and that strong management is necessary.
Historically, New Mexico’s wildfire season begins in May or June, but this year, wildfires sprung up in April. Scientists say that this is not just a freak occurrence but rather the new normal caused by climate change.
An uncontained springtime blaze north of Flagstaff, along with smaller fires in New Mexico and Colorado, has been a harsh reminder that fire season might now be year-round.
The finding by researchers runs counter to a basic tenet of climate change — that warming increases humidity because hotter air holds more moisture. It’s also bad news for fire seasons.
