The Wettest Rainforest in the United States Has Gone Up in Flames

[Zambero]

35. Wildfire is a normal ecosytem function. However...

It is happening with greater frequency and intensity these days. Part of this is long-term fuels accumulation. Good old Smokey and company did a great job of keeping fires small and infrequent, while dead and down woody debris kept piling up. Given warmer and drier conditions in recent years, when fire visits an area, it will burn hotter and is more likely to be a "stand replacement" event, as opposed to low intensity underburn. Even the wettest Pacific Northwest forests will have high intensity wildfire, but on a given acre this has occurred rarely, with centuries between events. What we're seeing is nature's way of reacting to what humans have brought to the table. And more intense fires also equates to a further increase in greenhouse gases, with warming temperatures and a further increase in wildfire disturbance. It doesn't take a team of astute scientists to conclude that a tipping point is approaching.