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Continuing drought in Colorado allowed the Fern Lake Fire in Rocky Mountain National Park to flare up in late November. Photo courtesy NPS/Dennis Geving.
Frequency of high wildfires expected to double by mid-century
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — This past summer’s drought and destructive wildfires in Colorado showed how just a short period of hot, dry weather intensifies fire conditions, and there’s more and more research suggesting that global warming will make things worse in the next few decades.
In one of the most recent studies, NASA scientists reported this week that wildfire activity is likely to increase significantly by the middle of the century, putting natural resources and human developments at even greater risk.
“Climate models project an increase in fire risk across the U.S. by 2050, based on a trend toward drier conditions that favor fire activity and an increase in the frequency of extreme events,” said Doug Morton, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. (more…)
Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, forests, global warming, wildfires | Tagged: carbon emissions, change, climate, global warming, greenhouse gases, NASA, Wildfires | 1 Comment »
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