Wildland Fires Caused by Humans in California are Dangerous Than Natural Wildfires

California wildland fires triggered by human activities are more severe than natural wildfires even those sparked by a lightning, according to a new study.

The fire cause either pertain to accidental or intentional circumstances.

This is based on previous California wildfires that were caused by ordinary people, including campers in rural areas or city outskirts.

California has witnessed frequent wildfires over the years, setting ablaze vast areas of grass and forested lands.

In some cases, these wildland fires had resulted in both animal and human casualties, as well as agricultural and infrastructural damage.

Being part of the drought-stricken southwestern region of the United States, California, has placed significant efforts when it comes to addressing developing or ongoing wildfires across the state.

Economic damage ranged from millions to billions of US dollars.

Human-Triggered California Wildfires

(Photo : Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

In the new study published in the journal Nature Communications on May 17, scientists from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) led a research to further understand the overlooked severity of human-induced fires to the ecosystem and the wider environment in general.

According to the UCI researchers, anthropogenic or human-ignited fires grow more quickly and emit more energy since they spark under hotter and drier conditions than the normal natural cause of wildfires, including lightning strikes.

Such circumstances highlight that these types of wildfires are different since they emerge abruptly compared to fire weather conditions, such as soil moisture, wind direction, hot weather, and humidity, as frequently issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS).

Also Read: Risk of Potential Wildfire Threats to Increase as Drought Winds Come

Anthropogenic vs. Natural Wildfires

The UCI study started with the premise that in 2020 alone, more than 4 million acres of land across the state were engulfed by wildfires, including the million-acre August Complex Fire.

In the case of the research, the scientific team then attempted to compare if there was any difference when it comes to wildfires causes naturally from lightning strikes versus those caused by humans.

Fire Tracking Algorithm

The comparison was made possible using an advanced fire modeling that enabled scientists to determine and understand the forces that dictate how fast does blazes spread.

This related to a separate study was published in the journal Scientific Data on May 30.

To support the fire model, the researchers created a fire tracking algorithm and used it to previous nine fire seasons across the state.

In this separate research article, the researchers looked for thermal hotspots with known fire activity using imaging device from the NOAA's Suomi satellite.

In recent years, wildfires in California and other states across the Southwest US have resulted in widespread damage and disruption.

During the 2021 California wildfire season, three people lost their lives as over 8,000 fires have been reported.

In 2020, California wildfires killed a total of at least 31 people.

Preceding years have also experienced similar fire weather hazards.

The US is currently in its summer season, which approximately spans from June to September each year.

Recent weather forecasts and studies have shown extreme heat wave, drought, and hot weather can strike the country, particularly the Western US, during this year's summer.

Related Article: US Wildfire Forecast: Meteorologists Predict the Western US is Set for an Intense Wildfire Season