2020 And Beyond : A Future of Fire – Storymap

October 4, 2015

As record-breaking fires flare up across the country, innovative solutions are needed for command and control

When human civilization began controlling fire our ancestors were provided with a reliable source of safety, security, nourishment, and communication — now in 2020, the relationship to flame and smoke has changed in a way unimaginable to previous generations. Extraordinarily large and intense wildfires have proliferated all over the western United States this year, bringing new devastation and distress to communities already suffering from a pandemic, electrical blackout, and unrest.

The region, which has historically experienced forest fires from late spring to autumn, has seen fire season grow longer and longer each year. Some experts argue the prolonged activity is caused by climate change, saying the problem is part of a long-term trend, while others point fingers at outdated forest management practices, aging equipment and misguided urban development investments. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (or Cal Fire) also link some of this year’s major wildfires to unusual lightning storms and dry wind that moved quickly through arid terrain in mid-August. Consequently, this weather event paved the way for the worst woodland inferno experienced in a century — more than 5 million acres have burned in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands of people.

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