Numerous late-season wildfires in Northeast U.S. an omen of things to come

Unprecedented levels of drought and annual increases in fire weather conditions are triggering a growing trend of fire danger throughout the Northeast United States, some of which was recently seen in New Jersey and New York.

Fire crews in New Jersey have been fighting the Jennings Creek Fire since Sunday, according to the state’s forest fire service. The wildfire has burned 3,500 acres and sits at 20% containment, but crews expect the fire to continue burning for days until it reaches containment lines.

Smoke-covered areas of New York City after a fire ignited in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park over the weekend. The fire has since been extinguished and officials are assessing the damage.

The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement for the area regarding elevated risk of fire spread on Tuesday, with gusts up to 35 mph and low humidity expected into the evening. New Jersey prohibited all fires throughout the state in response to the statement, while New York City Mayor Eric Adams banned all grilling within parks.

Credit: New Jersey Forest Fire Service

Drought played an integral role in the fires’ spread, with NOAA calling the Fall 2024 drought “historic” in a tweet on Oct. 31.

48 states have some drought, the most in Drought Monitor history,” NOAA said. “87.2% of the Lower 48 and 73.2% of the US are Abnormally Dry (D0) or in drought, both Drought Monitor records.”

Credit: NOAA

People living throughout the Northeast U.S. can expect more fire weather in the future driven by human-induced climate change through the burning of fossil fuels, according to climate change research institute Climate Central.

The organization recently analyzed data from 476 weather stations over the last 51 years to find how climate change is affecting fire weather across the nation.

Most eastern areas in the analysis saw increases in annual fire weather days since 1973, with around 3o% of areas seeing no change or a decrease. A specific band stretching from coastal Maine through the Northeast experienced the greatest increases in annual fire weather days, namely New York and New Jersey.

“Fire weather — dry, windy, warm conditions that allow wildfires to spread — is becoming more common in the Northeast,” the organization recently tweeted. “Parts of northern New Jersey and coastal New York are experiencing at least 10 additional days of fire weather annually vs. the 1970s.”

Wildfires and smoke are becoming more deadly around the world, research shows

Two recently released pieces of research paint a worrying picture of future wildland firefighting efforts: wildfires are burning more acreage, and wildfire smoke killing thousands more people than it previously did.

Both research studies, published Monday in the Nature Climate Change scientific journal, point to future challenges land management agencies will have to face as climate change creates hotter and more volatile conditions.

“The rate at which climate change impacts on wildfires is increasing every year,” Professor Wim Thiery, a co-author of the smoke study, told The Natural History Museum of London. “As we witness increasingly destructive fire seasons worldwide, it is essential that we not only adapt our policies to better manage fires, but also address the underlying causes of climate change.”

Wildfire smoke in the state of Washington

The first study looked into how climate change affects regional burned area patterns and found global burned area increases.

Simulations found climate change increased global burned area by 15.8% between 2003 and 2019, along with a 22% increase in the probability of experiencing months with above-average totals of burned area. Burned area also increased 0.22% per year globally, with the largest increase found in central Australia.

As wildfires burn more land, and average temperatures around the world continue to increase, so do deaths from air pollution from the flames’ smoke, according to researchers from the second study.

Researchers used “well-tested fire-vegetation” models to attribute global human mortality from PM2.5 emissions from wildfires to climate change. The models estimated around 10,000 more people died from wildfire smoke in the 2010s compared with the 1960s.

“Of the 46,401 (1960s) to 98,748 (2010s) annual fire PM2.5 mortalities, 669 (1.2%, 1960s) to 12,566 (12.8%, 2010s) were attributed to climate change,” the researchers said. “The most substantial influence of climate change on fire mortality occurred in South America, Australia and Europe, coinciding with decreased relative humidity and in boreal forests with increased air temperature.”

Kookipi Creek Fire

Students at California college choked by wildfire smoke urge campus closure

Many schools around San Bernardino County have closed as smoke from the nearby Line Fire blots out the sky and pollutes the air around the area.

Air quality for the area on Wednesday was recorded as “Unhealthy” at 178 PM2.5, according to AirNow. The entire county is under an air quality alert issued by the National Weather Service until Thursday morning. The fire has burned 34,729 acres and is at 14% containment as of Wednesday afternoon.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Line Fire’s evacuations for thousands hold as it burns away from San Bernardino

The hazardous conditions caused many school districts throughout the area to close for the week, including the Bear Valley Unified School District, the Redlands Unified School District, and the Rim of the World Unified School District.

California State University at San Bernardino, however, has continued to have classes, enraging thousands of students on campus.

Line Fire burning on Sept. 10 near Keller Peak. Credit: ALERTCalifornia / UC San Diego

“This fire has brought with it a surge of potential health effects, most notably to those with pre-existing respiratory issues, adding a layer of danger on top of an already dangerous situation,” a petition to close the campus, which has reached over 3,000 signatures, said. “As per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exposure to such particles can cause respiratory symptoms and aggravate lung and heart conditions.”

The EPA attributes numerous health effects to short-term wildfire smoke exposure, including:

  • Heart failure
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Increased risk of emergency room visits and hospital admissions
  • Bronchitis
  • Reduced lung function
  • Increased risk of asthma exacerbation and aggravation of other lung diseases

“It’s distressing that amidst these severe conditions, the campus remains open, forcing students and faculty members to risk their health,” the petition said. “We should not have to choose between our health and our education. Safe and quality education should not involve risking your wellbeing.”

Recent Washington Department of Ecology research found air pollution, driven by wildfire smoke, shortened life expectancy for the state’s most overburdened communities by 2.4 years. Those communities also had higher numbers of deaths from cardiovascular disease.

READ MORE: Smoke reduced life expectancy across Washington

Smoke from other wildfires in the area, including the Bridge, Airport, and Roblar fires, are also inundating the area but will also act to moderate fire activity, San Bernardino National Forest officials said Wednesday.

“Smoke from fires across the region will help moderate fire activity unless the skies clear and the smoke thins,” officials said. “That would allow for more slope and vegetation aligned runs.”

Several Brazil wildfires started by arson kill 2 people, plague nearly 50 cities

At least two people have died and a total of 48 cities in Brazil’s State of São Paulo are under a “maximum” wildfire alert after arsonists started several fires across the state, according to government officials. More than 7,300 firefighters are working to stop the wildfires.

São Paulo State Government officials told Reuters that the two fatalities were government employees who were trying to fight one of the fires at an industrial plant in the city of Urupes. Officials did not share any further details.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently posted that the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources determined none of the fires were started by natural causes.

“This means that there are people setting fires illegally, since all states in the country have already been warned and have prohibited the use of managed fires,” Lula’s post said.  “The Federal Police will investigate and the government will work with the states to combat the fires.”

Zoom Earth, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR, GOES-East, FIRMS

São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas visited the city of Ribeirão Preto Sunday, one of the areas most affected by wildfires in the state. There, he announced the state government has partnered with Brazil’s military to increase airdrops throughout the state.

“In addition to three Military Police helicopters already involved in the operation, the Brazilian Air Force has sent a KC-390 aircraft and two helicopters to help combat the fires. Another 28 heavy vehicles, including Fire Department trucks, are being sent to the city,” the state government’s website said.

Brazil Environment Minister Marina Silva pleaded with arsonists to stop setting fire during a government meeting on Sunday, saying government resources can only fight the flames for so long.

“Even if the federal government and state governments put all their forces into fighting fires, people need to stop setting fires, otherwise they will harm the health and lives of people and animals,” Silva said, according to Lula. “This is an appeal we make.”

Governor goes to Ribeirão Preto where he leads mobilization against fires — Photo: Vinicus Rosa/ Government of the State of São Paulo

The southern area of Brazil isn’t the only region in the nation plagued by fire. The Pantanal in Brazil’s northern region is considered the world’s largest tropical wetland area and one of the most important areas of freshwater in the world. It has also seen an extremely busy wildfire season, with the repeated fires leaving the environment in a state of constant recovery — and nearby communities struggling.

READ MORE: World’s largest tropical wetland burned this year

Wildfires across South America increased in both intensity and frequency through the second half of July. The continent’s highest wildfire activity so far this year was in Bolivia and areas of the Brazilian Amazon. Brazilian authorities also estimated this was the worst July in two decades with more than 22,000 active wildfires. Wildfire increases occurred around two weeks earlier than usual during fire season in the region, which historically has peaked in August and September.

CAMS4

California put wine industry profits above farmworker safety during 2020 wildfires, study finds

Wildfires burned more than 429,000 acres of land in California’s Sonoma County in 2020. The LNU Lightning Complex and the Glass Fire destroyed 1,500 structures and burned numerous grape vineyards.

A new study found during those fires, the county’s government prioritized the county’s wine industry profits over the lives of the people working those fields.

Researchers from the University of California – Irvine and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, recently published a study in the GeoHealth scientific journal that focused on the safety protections for farmworkers and the effectiveness of air monitoring in Sonoma County. The study found that farmworkers were exposed to high pollution levels from nearby wildfires while being excluded from mandated evacuation zones.

By Dripwoods – Taken of the Hennessey Fire, CC BY-SA 4.0

RELATED: Will fire be the death of California’s wine industry?

“Wildfires prompted Sonoma County’s businesses and government to prioritize the wine industry by advocating for initiatives that may put farmworkers’ lives at risk,” the researchers found.

Those initiatives included the adoption of an Agricultural Pass program, which allows farm bosses to apply for permits which allowed farmworkers to keep harvesting crops in mandatory evacuation zones during wildfires.

The study found 96 Agricultural Pass program applications were submitted during the Glass Fire, including 120 worksites and 633 workers. Another 370 permits were submitted during the LNU Lightning Complex yielded 370 permits and included 590 worksites and 1,603 workers. Researchers also said the exact number of workers for each permit is unreliable because of mismatches between permits and the absence of worker counts on some permits.

“Given the program’s lack of oversight, inconsistencies with state-level emergency protocols, and insufficient monitoring of hazardous air quality in the impacted regions, there is a need to further analyze the risks, health impacts, and structural inequalities the program imposes on farmworkers, in particular those who are undocumented,” the study said.

Hennessey Fire August 18, 2020
Hennessey Fire August 18, 2020

The researchers suggested a variety of policy changes in regards to their findings, including:

  • Mandatory Employer Emergency Plans and Emergency Training
  • Clear Protocols on Identifying Workers and Locations
  • Real-Time Monitoring of Air Quality
  • Hazard Pay
  • Post-Exposure Health Screenings
  • Post-Incident Accountability and Data Accuracy

Another study conducted in late 2023 found wildfire smoke could be much more toxic than officials previously believed.

Researchers from Stanford University studied soil from the LNU Complex and the 2019 Kincade Fire, finding wildfires can create cancer-causing toxic heavy metals depending on where they burn and the severity of the flames. At the burn scars, the team measured the levels of chromium 6, which is known by most as the toxic chemical from the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, and they found dangerous levels of it in certain areas of the fire.

“Up until now, for wildfires at least, we’ve worried a lot about the fine particulate exposure … what we’ve been blind to is that those ultra-fine particles can differ in composition,” researcher Scott Fendorf previously told WildfireToday. “Even in wildfires that are completely removed from any dwellings, with certain geologies and certain vegetation types which are pretty common, we can see that the particles have these toxic metals in them.”

READ MORE: Wildfire smoke toxicity worsened by heavy metals in soil, flame intensity

WILDLAND FIRE CANADA: Conference registration now open

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Registration is open for the 2024 Wildland Fire Canada Conference, a biennial conference scheduled for October 28 to November 1 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It will bring together wildland fire management agencies, indigenous fire experts, scientists, and collaborators from across Canada and other countries.

Wildland Fire Canada Conference

The theme of this year’s conference is Transforming Wildland Fire Management, i.e. taking a collective and inclusive approach to wildland fire management in which Canadians at all levels of government work together to co-exist with wildland fire — including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Registration rates (CAD):

Early registration (until 8/15) — $600
Registration (8/16 – 10/14) — $750
Late registration (10/14 – 10/28) — $800
Student registration — $250
One-day rate — $375
Virtual Registration — $300

Group registration available for virtual tickets:

            • $300/ticket for fewer than 5 tickets
            • $250/ticket for 6-10 tickets
            • $200/ticket for 11-20 tickets
            • $150/ticket for 20+ tickets

In-person registration: This includes access to all sessions and social activities. Registrants can access to the virtual conference platform to watch recorded presentations and network with remote attendees.

Virtual registration: This includes access to all sessions and online networking activities. Sessions will be recorded and made available for at least 6 months after the conference. You will receive access details about a week before the conference.

Join us in late October either in New Brunswick or online — or both — for this exciting collaboration with Canadian professionals and other international wildland fire experts!