Wildfire seasons are starting earlier and getting longer
Fire season in Alberta, Canada, typically begins March 1.
Fire season in Alberta, Canada, typically begins March 1. This year, the province officially declared the start of the season more than a week in advance, on Feb. 20.
More than 150 fires are smoldering in parts of western Canada while firefighters in the Texas Panhandle have spent over a week battling the largest wildfire in the state’s history — blazes that follow a pattern in recent years of wildfire seasons kicking off earlier than expected.
Wintertime fires are not altogether uncommon in these parts of the world, but the elements that fuel these winter wildfires are exacerbated by global warming, scientists say.
“What we’re seeing is more favorable conditions for fire as we continue to warm,” said Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada. “The window for burning is getting longer, which means there’s more opportunities to burn.”
In western Canada, ongoing drought has fueled many of the fires burning in British Columbia and Alberta. But even in places where drought conditions have not been a major issue, climate change is likely having an effect.
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