Will global warming produce more frequent and more intense wildfires?
There isn’t a direct relationship between climate change and fire, but researchers have found strong correlations between warm summer temperatures and large fire years, so there is general consensus that fire occurrence will increase with climate change.
Hot, dry conditions, however, do not automatically mean fire—something needs to create the spark and actually start the fire. In some parts of the country (like Alaska), most fires are ignited by lightning. In other regions (like California), most fires are ignited by humans.
Climate models tell us that average summer temperatures will continue to increase through this century, but ignition is the wild card. What will happen in the future is a more complicated story because we don’t understand what will happen with convective storms and the lightning.
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Fast Fire Facts from USGS
You’ve got questions about USGS fire science. We’ve got answers.
USGS on Fire: It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “more fire science data please!”
Visit our new USGS fire webpage to learn how USGS fire science is making a difference
Increases in Wildfire-Caused Erosion Could Impact Water Supply and Quality in the West
A growing number of wildfire-burned areas throughout the western United States are expected to increase soil erosion rates within watersheds, causing more sediment to be present in downstream rivers and reservoirs, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Point and Click to Track Wildfire Activity in the United States
Keep tabs on wildfire activity via this U.S. Geological Survey website, GeoMAC.
EarthView – Wildfires Scorch Large Swaths Along Oklahoma-Kansas border
This week's EarthView is a scorcher!
GeoMAC Provides Critical Support for Ongoing Western Wildfires
In response to the devastating wildfires that are burning lands across the West, the U.S. Geological Survey has teamed with federal firefighting agencies and private industry to form the Geo-spatial Multi-Agency Coordination group (GeoMAC)
Post-Wildfire Debris Flood: 2016 Fish Fire, Van Tassel Canyon, CA
The June 2016 Fish Fire burned over 12 km^2 in Los Angeles County, California. After the fire, the USGS installed an automated rain-triggered camera and laser stage gage to monitor post-wildfire flooding and debris flow in Van Tassel Canyon near Azusa. This video shows the peak flow triggered by an intense rainstorm on January 20, 2017. The laser stage gage, which is
Bears at the Lateral West Fire
Black bear and her cub travelling along the edge of the Lateral West Fire.
Smoky Mountain fires on the night of Nov. 28, 2016
In an extreme drought and amid high winds, many fires burned together in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the town of Gatlinburg and nearby communities to form the deadly fire that became known as Chimney Tops 2. This photo was taken on the night of Nov. 28, 2016, as the fire was spreading rapidly.
A Landsat image showing the damage from the Wallow Fire in Arizona, 20
A Landsat image showing the damage from the Wallow Fire in Arizona, 2011.
Landsat 8 View of Soberanes Wildfire Beginning
Landsat 8's July 29 pass over central California shortly after the outbreak of the fire. Credit: USGS/NASA Landsat Program.
A USGS scientist surveys the Las Conchas fire scar.
Fire effects monitoring after the Funny River Fire, Kenai Peninsula AK
Pre- and post-fire measurements of fire effects help ecologists, fire scientists, and managers determine how the severity of wildfires affects plants, animal habitat, and ecosystem services
USGS and 2007 California Wildfires: The Big Picture
Robert Fisher, USGS Research Biologist talks about the overall impact of fires on the biology of the area.
Wildfire in sagebrush-steppe region
Prescribed fire is one strategy managers employ for multiple reasons, including descreasing fuels to reduce the probability of severe future wildfires and modifying habitat to benefit native plants and animals. USGS scientists are studying the efficacy of these treatments in forested and sagebrush-steppe ecosystems and their effects on streams, soils, wildlife, and
...Joshua trees burning in the Bulldog Fire in Mojave Desert tortoise
Joshua trees burning in the Bulldog Fire in Mojave Desert tortoise habitat of southwestern Utah. These fires result in population losses of tortoises and modify the habitat in ways that takes decades to centuries to recover.