Top Climate Risks of 2024: Wildfires

Climate change is a huge problem and there are several things that it has affected. One of the major impacts that has struck climatologists* is wildfires. You might think that wildfires infrequently, but the times have changed. A wildfire is an unplanned fire burning in an area, such as a forest, grassland, or prairie. The sun, winds, campfires, and even lightning, are all causes contributing to wildfires. The biggest wildfire in history was The Great Fire of 1910. This fire burned over 3,000,000 acres, which is approximately the size of Connecticut! The most dangerous fire in world history was the Peshtigo Fire in October of 1861. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, California leads the country with the most wildfires, followed by Alaska, New Mexico, and Oregon. One reason that wildfires are threatening is their ability to expand by the second. Wildfires can spread up to 15 miles per hour. This can vary depending on a number of factors, such as weather conditions, types of fuel, and terrain.

*A Climatologist is a person who studies climate change.