Wildfires come for the suburbs
This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. The Spokane, Washington wildfires have destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced 65,000 people from their homes — and with high winds forecast for later this week, the crisis probably isn’t over. As of […]
On August 4, wildfires ravaged the suburbs of Spokane, Washington, destroying at least 700 buildings and displacing 65,000 residents. Three uncontained blazes continue to burn, spewing dense smoke across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. A 37-year-old Arizona man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly starting the largest fire through arson.
While most wildfires are human-caused, often due to negligence or accidents, this particular incident highlights the increasing threat of wildfires in urban and suburban areas. Experts attribute the rise in damage to climate change-induced extreme fire weather and humans encroaching on forests and grasslands. As people build homes in the "wildland-urban interface," the risk of wildfires increases, as these areas contain structures that can act as fuel for fires and more opportunities for ignition.
California, Hawaii, and Los Angeles have recently experienced devastating wildfires, but the crisis is not confined to these regions. In fact, every state with wildland-urban interfaces faces the potential for fire disaster, including areas in the Midwest and the East Coast.
Written by urgent.news from Vox's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
