The Great Plains had long been spared the agony of frequent wildfires — until recent years.
A satellite analysis published by scientists this week showed the number of large wildfires burning up swaths of the Great Plains rose 350 percent during 30 years, while the total area burned each year increased four-fold.
A variety of factors are thought to be behind the wildfires, including warming caused by fossil fuel pollution, growing populations and the expansions of cities and towns, invasions by fire-prone weeds, and the after-effects of a century of firefighting, which allowed flammable trees and dry grass to build up in wilderness and rural areas.
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“2016 was a big fire year in the Great Plains, and 2017 has been no slouch,” said John Abatzoglou, a University of Idaho scientist. He wasn’t involved with the new analysis; his research has shown fire risks are greatest in the Great Plains when hot and windy conditions follow wet years. “The increases over the past three decades in the region are similar to those in neighboring regions.”