UW Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Quantitative Seminar

Ernesto Alvarado

Associate Professor, UW, SEFS

Large fires in the Pacific Northwest: fire exclusion? climate change? something else?

Abstract

Over the last few decades, wildfire occurrence has increased to devastating levels not experienced before by modern society. Public awareness and scientific understanding on impacts on the ecological, environmental, economic, and social systems is increasing significantly but there are still significant gaps. The transition to the 20th Century had some of the largest wildfires in the western US, which resulted in implementation of a successful wildfire exclusion policy. Over a hundred years later, these policies have made western forest more vulnerable and less resilient to wildfires and other disturbances. Two more complications have emerged in recent decades that have made more difficult to develop solutions to deal wildfires. Approximately 60% of new homes in the west have been built in the wildland-urban interface. The WUI has become a major driver of fire policies in the United States and around the world. Climate change and more frequent of strong ENSOs have also fueled the occurrence of larger and more severe wildfires. We have yet to understand the full implications of the relationship between climate change and wildfires. The seminar will discuss some of the topics related to large wildfires, decision-making, and environmental effects.