Humans directly responsible for 97% of all wildfires that threaten homes in the US
10/07/2020 / By Divina Ramirez
Historic wildfires have been blazing through the West Coast over the past two months, devastating not just forests but also entire neighborhoods and communities in their wake. Experts are also reporting higher air pollution levels due to the fires, which compound the threat of COVID-19 even further.
While droughts, longer fire seasons and unexpected weather events like lightning storms have all had a hand in starting wildfires over the past few decades, a new study shows that humans have ignited a staggering 97 percent of all wildfires that threatened to engulf homes in the U.S. between 1992 and 2015.
Published in the journal Fire, the report drew on both housing and wildfire data, concluding that humans have sparked almost all wildfires over the past two decades in the wildland-urban interface through activities like debris burning and arson, where communities face a greater risk of wildfires.
https://www.climate.news/2020-10-07-humans-ignite-almost-every-home-threatening-wildfires.html
