According to findings from Deep Sky, a Canadian carbon removal project developer, the frequency of extreme fire risk in the US has surged by 20 times.
Deep Sky Research and its Wildfire Risk Model reveal that what used to be a once-in-a-century occurrence of widespread extreme fire risk now happens every 5 years due to climate change.
Additionally, the model shows that the maximum fire risk across North America has surged approximately 15 times.
Specific regions, such as Central Colorado and Northern New Mexico, are experiencing significantly more extreme fire weather compared to previous years. Meanwhile, Central California is witnessing alarming increases in extreme fire conditions.
Another key discovery from the Wildfire Risk Model is that these risks are not only increasing but also accelerating.
Climate scientists term this escalating severity and frequency as a “vicious cycle,” wherein climate change worsens fire weather conditions, leading to larger, more destructive wildfires that emit substantial carbon, thereby exacerbating climate change further.
Max Dugan-Knight, Climate Data Scientist at Deep Sky, explains, “Deep Sky Research uses a novel approach for predicting the impact of climate change.”
He continues, “A risk assessment approach, just like the insurance industry uses, can help us predict disasters ahead of time. In the case of wildfires, an increase in frequency and severity is being driven by changes in extreme fire weather.”
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