Drought conditions and record heat have fueled damaging and sometimes deadly wildfires in the U.S. West., Canada, and the Mediterranean, among other places.  Millions of forested acres and thousands of homes have been lost over the past decade due to fires thriving in dry, stressed forests and the proximity of communities to fire-prone forests. An increase in average temperatures of 1°C is expected to multiply the area burned in the West by several-fold, putting more life and property at risk.

 

This unit explores the causes of increasing wildfires and their impact on air quality.