Where next? Spokane fires signal more wildfire danger
Recent destructive wildfires in Spokane, Washington, highlight a growing trend of extreme fire behavior across the United States. Climate scientists warn that hot, dry, and windy conditions are creating a recurring pattern of devastation in suburban areas.
Why it matters
The increasing frequency of wildfires near populated areas poses a significant threat to public safety and infrastructure, necessitating urgent discussions on climate adaptation.
Hear this story It didn’t have to be Spokane . A fast-moving wildfire could sweep into the suburbs of any one of hundreds of cities across the United States.
It’s happening with increasing frequency. Paradise . Marshall . Lahaina . Los Angeles .
This time it was Spokane, Washington, but scientists warn it will happen again.
It’s a pattern that has become “uncomfortably familiar” in recent years, throughout the West and in other parts of the world, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Although Spokane’s trio of fires isn’t anywhere near the largest in Washington this year, they are the most destructive. More than 10,000 acres have been burned, and more than 700 structures, including homes, businesses and outbuildings, have been lost. An estimated 65,000 people have been forced to flee their homes
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