Suburban Sprawl Puts Western Homes at Risk from Wildfires
Recent fires in Spokane, Washington, and Reno, Nevada, illustrate the risks from suburban sprawl, experts say. In both cities, encroaching flames burned homes built at the edge of wilderness. Read more on E360 →
Recent wildfires in Spokane, Washington, and Reno, Nevada, highlight the growing risks posed by suburban sprawl. In Reno, the Hawk Fire burned over 90,000 people's homes in just a few days, while months of low humidity and hot weather increased the likelihood of the blaze. Scientists attribute these fires to climate change, which has made them more likely to occur.
The wildland-urban interface, where housing is situated between developed areas and forests or grasslands, is particularly vulnerable to fires. Experts warn that as human activity continues to warm the planet, these risks will only worsen.
Written by urgent.news from Yale Environment 360's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
