{"id":88811,"date":"2018-12-18T10:53:37","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T20:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=88811"},"modified":"2019-03-27T14:44:46","modified_gmt":"2019-03-28T00:44:46","slug":"increased-wildfires-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2018\/12\/18\/increased-wildfires-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Study links climate change to increased risk of Hawai\u02bbi wildfires"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>

\"helicopter<\/p>\n

The first study linking climate change to an increased probability of wildfires in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> also weighs the increased risks facing tropical regions around the world, according to University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa researcher Clay Trauernicht<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Based on changes in rainfall and temperature due to climate change, the annual risk of wildfire could increase up to 375 percent for parts of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island, the analysis shows.<\/p>\n

Lead researcher Trauernicht, of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management<\/a>, tracked the “footprints” of historical fires on Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island. His research shows how vegetation, ignition frequency and climate contribute to wildfire probability.<\/p>\n

“The increased risk of fire stems from drought conditions due to low rainfall, as well as increased rainfall in the months prior to drought,” Trauernicht said. “This is because wet conditions mean greater growth of non-native grasses, which are the greatest fuel for wildfires in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Wet summer weather, combined with dry winter conditions, is characteristic of El Niño conditions and this winter looks likely to be another El Niño.”<\/p>\n

A troubling outlook<\/h2>\n

Most of this change is anticipated to happen within the next several decades.<\/p>\n

“Conditions for fire are likely to worsen significantly by mid-century,” said Trauernicht. “The analysis also confirms patterns we\u2019re already seeing in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. High rainfall in the 2017–2018 winter, followed by late-summer drought, contributed to nearly 30,000 acres burning across the state this August.”<\/p>\n

Read the full article at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources website<\/a> or download the paper published in Science of the Total Environment<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first study linking climate change to an increased probability of wildfires in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> also weighs the increased risks facing tropical regions around the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[93,212,899,1363,544,158,9],"class_list":["post-88811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-climate-change","tag-college-of-tropical-agriculture-and-human-resilience","tag-ecology","tag-manoa-research","tag-natural-resources-and-environmental-management","tag-publication","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t