Are We in an Era of the Megafire?

I read an interesting article from Forbes that argues we’re in the age of the “megafire.”  Unfortunately, I think the author is right.  Obviously 2020 has been a crappy year in general, but at least some of this year’s troubles, such as the coronavirus and leftover election strife, should be tamped down in the next year or so.  But one thing that’s not likely to improve is the wildfire problem out west.

Why the Era of the Megafire is Upon Us

California has seen roughly 4 million acres go up in flames this year.  Oregon and Washington State have also been hit extremely hard.  In every case the massive fire footprint has caused billions of dollars in damage, killed people, and prompted mass evacuations.  In California alone, 6 of the 20 worst forest fires the state has ever seen have occurred in 2020.  That’s an incredible 30% in a single year, and one academic expert believes that wildfire destruction will double in the 2030s.

Other countries are seeing a similar trend.  For example, Australia’s massive bushfire activity in early 2020 destroyed more than 20% of the country’s forest system and caused up to an estimated $110 billion in damage.  Africa also recently experienced a series of large, devastating forest fires. 

So, the damage is already being done, but what is the root cause?  The answer is climate change, which has increased the frequency of tinder-igniting lightning and caused a 20-year drought that has dried out vegetation and spurred increased winds to fan the flames. 

Shoddy forest management and the development of additional housing areas over the decades have exasperated the problem.  And these conditions are not going to improve any time soon.  This perfect storm – a more flammable environment coupled with more opportunities to ignite a fire – is why I do believe that we are in the era of the megafire.

Again, this trend is not going to suddenly reverse itself anytime soon, which makes the field of utility emergency preparedness more important than ever before.  You never know when the next megafire might hit.  Godspeed.