In recent weeks, large wildfires have raged across the western United States and Canada, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Warmer, drier conditions due to climate change are a major underlying factor in this trend toward larger wildfires and longer, more intense fire seasons in the West. And with more people and property near fire-prone areas, the risks and costs increase as the erratic and extreme behavior of these fires becomes much more difficult to combat.

Wildfires rage in the West

The largest wildfire in the U.S. right now, the Durkee Fire, is burning in Oregon, while the Park Fire, the largest in California so far this year, is spreading rapidly. A large fire in Jasper National Park in Canada has burned down half the town of Jasper. Today’s wildfire map shows an alarmingly active wildfire season. The national wildfire preparedness level is now at a high of level 5. Current maps also show that smoke from these wildfires is being carried hundreds of miles up the East Coast.

And that map is accompanied by some sobering statistics about the wildfire season so far.

The outlook for forest fires in August and September is also bleak.

Climate change creates dangerous new wildfire regime

Wildfires have always been a fundamental feature of the western landscape and ecosystems. But with climate change, we are in a new regime of catastrophic large wildfires. In addition, decades of aggressive fire suppression and a large proportion of trees dead or damaged by drought and bark beetle infestations have created a powder keg of flammable fuel. Alternating cycles of heavy rains that grow grass, followed by intense hot, dry periods that dry out that vegetation, add to the flammable mix.

This year, while parts of the West had heavy rains earlier in the year, they entered the summer with varying degrees of drought and rain deficit. And then last month’s intense heat waves caused rapid moisture loss and drying of vegetation, a phenomenon sometimes called a “flash drought.” The heat waves in particular have resulted in an increase in the vapor pressure deficit (or VPD), which scientists have shown tends to correlate with wildfire area over long timescales.

With these background conditions, when human causes or lightning start fires, they have an incredible amount of fuel to feed on and grow rapidly, as we see in California, Oregon, and Washington. The conditions in Oregon are so extreme that the fires create their own weather systems.

And as if wildfires weren’t enough damage, New Mexico has experienced another terrible hazard: Landscapes ravaged by previous wildfires have been hit by heavy rains this year, causing devastating flooding. The town of Ruidoso and the Mescalero Apache Reservation have been hit particularly hard.

None of this is normal. And it is expected to get worse as our climate continues to warm. We must not lose sight of the fact that the extreme conditions we are seeing today are a direct result of burning fossil fuels. Decades of deliberate deception and obstruction of climate action by fossil fuel companies, coupled with insufficient action by policymakers, are to blame for the continued expansion of fossil fuels, still rising heat-trapping emissions, and increasing damage to people, ecosystems, and the economy.

People, homes and critical infrastructure at risk

Development patterns, including expansion, the high cost of housing in urban areas, and the desirability of living near forests, are putting more people and property at risk. People living near areas prone to wildfires are experiencing firsthand the dangers and costs of changing wildfire patterns. This season’s wildfires have already burned hundreds of homes and buildings, displaced thousands, closed roads, damaged critical infrastructure such as drinking water systems, and forced power outages.

In many places, people are also finding it increasingly difficult to insure their homes as insurers cancel policies, raise rates or withdraw from the market altogether.

Firefighters in wildlands also face the daunting task of fighting large wildfires during long, active fire seasons. Fighting fires in densely populated areas with many homes can be even more dangerous, as there is less room to safely maneuver and the stakes to protect lives are high. Year after year, the physical and mental toll is immense, and firefighters are not fairly paid for this daunting work, making it urgent to pass a bipartisan bill to help fix this situation.

And it’s not just people near the fires who are affected: Wildfire smoke is carried hundreds of miles away, and the deteriorating air quality poses a serious threat to public health. This NASA image shows how far east smoke from western wildfires has spread, mirroring trends from last year.

Action needed now

The scale of the wildfires currently raging in the West is terrifying. The impact on people and ecosystems is sobering and heartbreaking to contemplate.

The immediate need, of course, is to ensure that people can evacuate quickly from dangerous wildfires. It is critical to respond promptly to warnings from local emergency services. Better tools and data for forecasting, detection, and early warning systems, made freely available and widely available, can all help make this process more effective and safer. California’s Wildfire Smoke and Health Outcomes Data Act is a key example of such efforts.

Other protective measures, such as building homes with more fire-resistant materials; keeping defensible space free of vegetation around homes and communities; ensuring proximity to emergency evacuation routes and water supplies; and having a system in place to check on neighbors who may have limited mobility, are important ways to keep people safe.

In areas affected by wildfire smoke, it can help to heed air quality warnings, stay indoors, and invest in air purifiers. People who are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of wildfire smoke, such as young children, the elderly, and people with existing respiratory or heart conditions, should be especially careful. UCS is also sponsoring two additional bills in California that could help reduce the public health impacts of wildfires.

Outdoor workers, including those on farms and in construction, must be protected from smoke inhalation by their employers. Unfortunately, there is still no federal safety standard for wildfire smoke, leaving workers to rely on an inadequate patchwork of state-level measures (such as Oregon and California). FEMA should also make it clear that wildfire smoke (and extreme heat) does qualify for disaster declarations, as is already allowed under the law.

Proactive measures to reduce the risks and costs of wildfires, such as sound forest management practices, including controlled fires with strict safety and ecological standards; changes in land use development and zoning; and robust investments in technology, equipment, and resources to keep firefighters safe, must all be part of the solution set that policymakers act on. Adopting the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission’s suite of recommendations would be a huge step forward.

After disastrous wildfires, people need help getting back on their feet. Past fire seasons have shown how difficult that can be. When homes and essential infrastructure are destroyed, when places are repeatedly ravaged by wildfires, residents may not be able to return to their communities for a long time. Some may never be able to return.

Policymakers should ensure that disaster relief flows quickly to those who need it most, including by quickly disbursing emergency funding when needed and by permanently authorizing HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program to ensure equal access to reconstruction resources. In the longer term, investments in host communities, including in jobs, schools, affordable housing, and other infrastructure, can ensure that displaced people can find welcoming places to rebuild their lives. Access to mental health services, both for affected communities and for firefighters, is also critical.

Finally, deep cuts to heat-trapping emissions are essential to limit future climate change, one of the biggest contributors to the dangerous new wildfire regime we already find ourselves in. Holding fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in causing this damage must be part of how we address it. Right now, people on the frontlines of wildfires, firefighters, and taxpayers are bearing the health care costs and footing the bill for damage that can be directly attributed to these companies.

As we enter the middle of the “danger season,” the high toll from wildfires and other climate impacts is a stark reminder to policymakers that they must act boldly and decisively now to limit the worst impacts of climate change and ensure that communities across the country are better prepared for the crisis that is already here.