Work

Exacerbating risk in human-ignited large fires over western United States due to lower flammability thresholds and greenhouse gas emissions.

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ) for human-caused large fires was 93% higher on average and increased 21% more rapidly than those caused by lightning during 1979-2020. Through robust statistical detection and attribution of Earth System Models, we found that the anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions predominantly (81%) controlled the human-related flammable day increases, which was 18% greater than the effect of GHGs on the increases in lightning-related flammable days. Such ignition-type varied fire weather risk indicates more large fire-prone conditions for human-regulated fire regimes when GHG emissions are enhancing and ignitions are not limited by fuels.

Source: PubMed

DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf012

Authors: Fa Li, Qing Zhu, Kunxiaojia Yuan, Huanping Huang, Volker C Radeloff, Min Chen

Institutions: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Louisiana State University

Language: English

Topic: Fire effects on ecosystems

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: green