Washington State's Next Big Thing, Thanks To Climate Breakdown - Urban Wildfires
Wildfire season isnt what it used to be. In Washington state, a combination of ongoing drought and rapid development made 2014 particularly nightmarish, and this years unusually hot conditions are fueling another season of dangerous blazes more than 300 so far, including one, 3,000-plus acre wildfire that destroyed homes and businesses in central Washington.
Thats no longer out of the ordinary. Washington firefighters are bracing themselves for an onslaught of oxymoronic-sounding urban wildfires, NPR reports basically, brush fires that bump right into cities, threatening entire communities. Officials there say its a growing threat, one more commonly associated with cities like San Diego although increasingly, they point out, the weather in Washington state seems to resemble that of southern California.
John Sinclair, chief of Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue, told NPR hes not qualified to say whats causing the drought and rising temperatures, but the trend, he maintains, is clear: Were seeing significant amounts of fires in places where weve never seen fires before.
Added Peter Goldmark, the commissioner of public lands with the states Department of Natural Resources, We need more resources to deal with this emerging threat of really hot conditions, which make our many communities at risk.
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http://www.salon.com/2015/07/22/washington_states_terrifying_new_climate_threat_urban_wildfires/