|
Abstract
|
Events in Hawaii show how much we have to learn about wildfire spread -- but simple research steps can help to build resilience.
When I saw on the news the aftermath of the tragic wildfire that killed more than 100 people and destroyed over 2,000 buildings in Lahaina on the island of Maui, Hawaii, I was upset -- but also frustrated. It brought back memories of my research trip to Paradise, California, to document damage there caused by the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures.
Driven by drought, high winds and extreme heat, fires in recent years have caused destruction and losses on a scale bigger than anyone is used to. The average annual global cost of wildfires is around US$50 billion, the World Economic Forum said in January. And by the end of the century, climate change might make catastrophic conflagrations 50% more common, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Given the surge in urban development in and near forested areas, something has to be done to protect communities. As Maui's experience shows, little is in place.
Communities and policymakers desperately need strategies to mitigate losses from wildfires. The starting point must be to improve understanding of what causes wildfires and wildfire damage.
Wildfire risk depends on two factors: the chance of ignition in wildlands and how fire propagates into and damages the built environment.
Language: en |