In what can be nothing if not proof that global warming causes cooling causes wildfires, the American West is on high alert as winter gives way to spring and summer, and all that moisture creates a bounty of flammable grasses.
The western U.S. has a Mediterranean climate, with winter precipitation and dry summers (yes, this includes Washington State). Precipitation during the winter encourages seasonal grass growth and is followed by a summer warm/dry period, resulting in substantial flammable fuels by mid-summer. All that is needed is an ignition source and strong winds, which result in rapid fire spread. …
Interestingly, western grasslands and rangeland have become much more flammable over time, as explosively flammable, non-native grasses such as cheatgrass have spread around the West. This is NOT due to global warming. And there are far more sources of ignition these days, including huge increases in electrical infrastructure and population at the urban/wildland interface.
Grass grows, dries, and burns resulting in wildfires that spread into nearby forests. In California, where the environmentalists have ensured destruction by objecting to sensible forestry practices, the results can be deadly. Deadwood trapped in or below trees acts as a fuel multiplier making fires hotter. The result is … stories in the media about how irresponsible Western lifestyles have resulted in warming and drought.
Funny thing about that. Out west, they’ve had dry conditions for a lot longer than they’ve had anything like modernity. And dry conditions are prone to wildfires. But wet conditions are also a leading cause of wildfires.
A wonderful USDA website called fuelcast.net uses precipitation and other data, manipulated using machine learning, to predict the dead fuel load (mainly dead grasses) later this summer (see below). As noted by grassland/range expert, Dr. Matt Reeves, when the standing dead fuel load gets to about 800 pounds per acre, the wildfire threat is substantial.
Given the amount of precipitation over this past winter, the West is looking at ideal growing conditions for wild grass: more water, more grass, greater risk of fire. All thanks to global cooling is global warming is it doesn’t matter. None of this has anything to do with the planet, but at least if we are prepared for the incoming BS, we can defend against it.
