Alaskan Wildfires Precede Potentially Devastating Global Fire Season

Alaskan Wildfires , Precede Potentially Devastating , Global Fire Season .

Fox reports that over 530 wildfires have already torn through parts of Alaska this year, burning an area roughly the size of Connecticut.

Fox reports that over 530 wildfires have already torn through parts of Alaska this year, burning an area roughly the size of Connecticut.

According to the report, the worst of the annual fire season still lays ahead.

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Long term forecasts show a pattern similar to 2004, when a devastating fire season burned 10,156 square miles of Alaska.

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Long term forecasts show a pattern similar to 2004, when a devastating fire season burned 10,156 square miles of Alaska.

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The frequency of these big seasons has doubled from what it was in the second half of the 20th century.

And there’s no reason to think that’s not going to continue, Rick Thoman, Climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska’s International Arctic Research Center.

Fox reports that heat waves and droughts have been exacerbated by the world's warming climate.

As a consequence, destructive wildfires have become more frequent and harder to combat or even control.

In 2022, wildfires have already spread through Portugal, Spain, France, England and Germany, which have all experienced record-high temperatures.

In 2022, wildfires have already spread through Portugal, Spain, France, England and Germany, which have all experienced record-high temperatures.

In Alaska, early snow melt preceded a largely rain-free June leading to dry conditions ideal for sparking wildfires.

There’s been a significant increase in the amount of fuel available, and that’s from decades of warmer springs and summers in the region, direct result of a warming climate, Rick Thoman, Climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska’s International Arctic Research Center.

And, of course, fires with more fuels available burn hotter.

They burn longer.

They’re more resistant to changes in weather, Rick Thoman, Climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska’s International Arctic Research Center