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The Southwest is on fire, with iconic deserts and towns at risk – 3 reasons the 2022 fire season is so early and intense

The Southwest is on fire, with iconic deserts and towns at risk – 3 reasons the 2022 fire season is so early and intense

Two fire crew members use axes to chop at burning roots on a charred desert landscape.

New Mexico and Arizona are both facing dangerously early fire seasons. It has destroyed many neighborhoods and has such devastating consequences. President Joe Biden issued a declaration of disasterNew Mexico Over 600 firesBy May 1, a fire had broken out in both states, and hundreds of homes had been destroyed by large wildfires near Ruidoso, Las Vegas, New Mexico and Flagstaff, Arizona.

We asked wildfire scientists Molly Hunter at the University of Arizona to explain what’s fueling the extreme fire conditions and why risky seasons like this are becoming more common.

Why is this year’s wildfire season in the Southwest so early and intense?

Historically, fire season in the Southwest didn’t ramp up until late May or June, because fuels that carry fires – primarily woody debris, leaf litter and dead grasses – didn’t fully dry out until then.

The Southwest is experiencing more Fires can start earlierThe year. The earlier the fire season, Partly because of the warming climate. As temperatures rise, the snow melts quicker and more water evaporates in the atmosphere. This causes grasses, and other fuels, to dry out earlier.

Unfortunately, the timing coincides with the time the region experiences the most. Strong windsRapid fire growth can be a result. Some of the fires we’re seeing this year, like the Tunnel FireThese intense wind events are driving fires in New Mexico and Flagstaff. They’re pretty typical winds for spring, but fuels are now really dry and ready to burn.

Two fire crew members use axes to chop at burning roots on a charred desert landscape.
In April 2022, fire crews tended to the burning roots after a fire near Flagstaff in Arizona.
Tom Story/Northern Arizona Type 3 Incident Management Team via AP

This year, we have plenty of fuel to burn. In 2021, the Southwest had an estimated population of 1.2 million people. Monsoon season exceptionalThis left green hillsides and lots more vegetation. Now the grasses are forbsThe monsoon has dried out the vegetation that was established during the monsoon, leaving plenty of biomass that can be used to light a fire. In the Southwest, the most significant fire years are those when there is a dry and a wet period. La Niña conditions we’re experiencing now.

What role does climate change play in our lives?

In the Southwest Climate changeThis has led to warmer and drier conditions. One immediate effect is the increase in fire season.

Fires are now starting in March and April. And if the Southwest doesn’t get a good summer monsoon – the region’s typical period of heavy rainstorms – fire season won’t really stop until we get significant rainfall or snowfall in fall and winter. This will put more pressure on firefighting resources and increase the stress on communities that are forced to face fire, smoke, and evacuations.

As the fire season extends, states are also experiencing more fires that were started by human activity, such as fireworks, sparks coming from vehicles or equipment, or power lines. More people are moving.Out of areas that are fire-prone, there are more chances for human-caused ignitions.

Satellite images shows fires burning near Las Vegas, New Mexico, and Los Alamos.
By May 4, nearly a quarter-million acres had burned in New Mexico, almost double the state’s 2021 total. Satellite images and the map below show fires near Los Alamos (NM) and Las Vegas (N.M).
NASA

Map showing several large fires around Santa Fe, New Mexico, including in the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico


National Interagency Fire Center

What effect is the changing fire regime having on the Southwest’s ecosystems?

When fires burn in areas that didn’t see fire historically, they can transform ecosystems.

People generally don’t think of fire as being a natural part of desert ecosystems, but Grasses are now fueling huge fires in the desert, like Arizona’s Telegraph FireIn 2021. These fires are also spreading further and into other ecosystems. The Telegraph Fire began in a desert area, and then burned through chaparral to reach the mountains with pine and conifer forests.

Part of the problem is Invasive grasses like red brome or buffelgrassThese grasses spread quickly and can easily be burned. It is very common to have a lot of grass. These desert systems are now home to many plants.They are more likely to catch on fire.

Desert communities and ecosystems are threatened by invasive buffelgrass.

Some plant species can survive in the desert if there is a fire. But the saguaro – the iconic cactuses that are so popular in tourist visions of the Southwest – are Not well-suited to fire.They can often be killed by fire, and are very common in the wild. Paloverde trees can be found in the following locations: Not well adaptedTo survive fires.

The grasses, both invasive and native, bring back vegetation quickly. So in some areas we’re seeing a transition from desert ecosystem to a Grassland ecosystemThis is very conducive for the spread of fire.

The Cave Creek FireThis is an example of the transition that took place near Phoenix in 2005. It burned over 240,000 acres, and if you drive around that area now, you don’t see lot of saguaros. It doesn’t look like desert. It looks more like an annual grassland.

This is a famous landscape and its loss can have a significant impact on tourism. It also affects wildlife. Many Saguaro is essential for many speciesFor nesting and feeding Bats rely upon the flowersNectar.

What can you do to reduce the fire risk in the future

In some ways, people will have the realization that fire is inevitable.

Our ability to control fires is now limited. When winds are strong and the fuels are really dry, there’s only so much firefighters can do to prevent some of these big fires from spreading.

A man throws a large log , just cut down, as he and other clear a fire line.

Las Vegas, N.M.: May 2, 2022: People remove trees from around a house to prevent a fire.
AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio

More Prescribed firesClearing out fuel potential is one way to reduce the likelihood of very large, destructive fires.

In the past, firefighting was more expensive than managing the fuels using tactics like prescribed fire and thinning. But the Infrastructure billA significant influx of funds for fuel management was included in the 2021 budget. There’s also a push to move some seasonal fire crew jobs to full-time, yearlong positions to conduct thinning and prescribed burns.

Homeowners can also Be more prepared to deal with fires. That means maintaining yards and homes by removing debris so they’re less likely to burn. Preparedness to evacuate is also a must.

This article was updated on May 5, when Biden issued the disaster declaration.

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