Is climate change sparking more forest fires

In the latest episode of It's (Probably) Not Rocket Science (IPNRS), a topic of growing concern across the United States-forest fires are discussed with University of New Mexico Biology Professor Matt Hurteau, an expert in forestry and climate change mitigation.

Titled "Is climate change sparking more forest fires," this podcast episode asks IPNRS listeners to don their firefighter gear and imagine the dramatic images of forest fires scorching the earth and how we can prevent setting the horizon ablaze.

Photos of devastating fires-some with crumbled buildings and charred trees-aren't uncommon in New Mexico. Less than six months ago, the Land of Enchantment was engulfed by the South Fork Fire, which decimated nearly 17,000 acres in Ruidoso, N.M.

More concerning is the news that fire season is here to stay. Climate change has severely impacted weather conditions worldwide, so forest fire season isn't restricted to one time of the year; it can happen anytime.

Experts aren't asking us to give up roasted campfire smores in the summertime - but they are asking that we start paying attention to the evolving world around us, especially in places like New Mexico, where the arid climate is a breeding ground for disaster.

Hurteau, who is also the director of the Center for Fire Resilient Ecosystems in Society, talked about the importance of forest preservation in a changing landscape and says that preventing forest fires is vital because forests provide huge services for people - one of the biggest is filtering our air for carbon.

"Forests help globally regulate the climate system. So basically, by taking up carbon dioxide that we put in the atmosphere, as they photosynthesize, they help regulate the amount of carbon in the atmosphere," Hurteau said. "[they] keep that concentration lower so we're not experiencing as much climate change."

Forests are valuable not only because they help regulate carbon levels but also because they produce pharmaceutical and fiber products and house millions of keystone species worldwide that are at risk from fires. Unsurprisingly, Hurteau says that due to rapid fluctuations in the weather, we can expect further destruction and long fire seasons ahead.

"I woke up this morning, and it was below freezing, and if I had plants in the garden and I didn't cover them last night - they wouldn't be photosynthesizing when I got home," Hurteau said about the sudden drop in temperature in Albuquerque. "That's a really rapid change… the same thing can happen with these snap drought periods."

New Mexicans are no strangers to rapid temperature fluctuations. In late October, the average temperature was in the mid-70s, but early November sports a cool 50s. Hurteau attributes the increase in forest fires to extreme temperature fluctuations created by climate change. In a desert, this can be a recipe for disaster.

"We live in an increasingly flammable world y'know? For those of us in the west, it's always been flammable," Hurteau said. "We all have to learn how to live with fire, particularly here, in the Southwestern U.S."

Although the solution seems light years away, UNM students, faculty, and staff can take a page from Smokey the Bear's playbook and try their best to prevent forest fires.

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