Debris from Hurricane Helene last year and abnormally dry air are fueling wildfires in North Carolina that are out of control. There are numerous fires in Florida, one of which burned over 42 square miles in Miami-Dade County.
And they are still burning in Oklahoma, where wind-driven wildfire have claimed four lives this month. On Friday, there were reports of significant flames in eight states, including those three.
According to data released Friday by the National Interagency Fire Center, 14,800 wildfires have burnt 1,105 square miles so far this year, which is significantly more than the 10-year average.
The most destructive were the January wildfires in Los Angeles that devastated entire communities due to the combination of parched vegetation and roaring winds.
Many U.S. fire authorities claim that there is no longer a “fire season,” which used to run from late spring through the fall, because wildfires have occurred so frequently in recent years.
This is due to the fact that increasing global temperatures brought on by the burning of fuels like coal and gasoline have produced climate change, which has resulted in drier circumstances that enable wildfires—which are primarily caused by humans—to burn longer and more intensely.
Although huge flames typically occur early in the year—Texas saw the biggest wildfire in the state’s history in February 2024—this year is a little different “because we’re seeing it happen in so many places,” according to Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture who tracks drought.
According to Rippey, 45% of the nation is experiencing drought this week, compared to 20% at any given time in the past.
From the southern Plains’ freeze-dried grasses to the fallen trees and brush from the recent hurricanes that devastated sections of the southeast and southern Appalachians, there was a lot of fuel that was just waiting for a spark.
Debris from hurricanes Laura, Ida, Debby, and Idalia over the last five years, along with ice storms and other extreme weather, is still present in a number of states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s significant wildfire outlook.
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Two of three massive flames that have raged for more than a week in Hurricane Helene-ravaged North Carolina have been attributed to power lines that were brought down by strong winds, according to officials.
This is in a region where the mean relative humidity this month has been the lowest on record.
High winds and dry conditions are making it difficult to access fierce and unpredictable fires that are growing quickly due to impassable terrain and numerous downed trees.
According to Philip Jackson, a spokesman for the North Carolina Forest Service, many roads have either been buried with storm debris or “they have just been completely washed away.”
As more debris dries out, Jackson warned that the state might be at risk of fire for years.
A large brush fire in Miami-Dade County that at one point made it difficult to drive to and from the Florida Keys was part of an earlier-than-normal fire season caused by the drought that is affecting most of Florida.
The Florida Forest Service reports that while dozens of lesser fires are still burning, that fire is 95% suppressed. Red flag warnings, which indicate ideal conditions for wildfire, are in effect for many areas.
Large-scale flames are also reported in West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the southern Plains and the southeast have the highest potential for wildfires, and most of Texas, as well as portions of New Mexico and Arizona, as well as a number of southeastern states, will see large wildfires throughout April.
This information has been sourced from apnews
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