Fires along the wildland-urban interface on the rise

Wildfire burns near homes. Credit: ready.gov

A new study supported by two grants from the Climate Program Office (CPO) investigated the escalating issue of fires occurring in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where urban development encroaches upon wild vegetation. Researchers Cenlin He and Wenfu Tang of the National Center for Atmospheric Research are supported by CPO’s Atmospheric Chemistry, Carbon Cycle and Climate (AC4) Program, Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) Program and National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) to study the complex interactions and feedbacks between drought, fire, and air quality in the western U.S. By compiling a comprehensive database spanning nearly two decades, the researchers unveil a concerning global trend: while total fire counts and burned areas have declined globally, fires within the WUI are on the rise, indicating a shift in fire dynamics.