Fueling the Flames
TRE SPENCER SENIOR WRITER Deep within the heart of the Wayne National Forest are the charred remains of wildlife, flowers and the life that once inhabited a portion of the forest before nature's fiery wrath. Like burnt popcorn and volcanic ash, the remains of once vibrant oak trees and nutrient-rich soil lay buried underneath fire retardant as firefighters battled one of the largest fires in Southeast Ohio's history. Wildfires have ravaged the country for
Burn marks caused by November’s Kimble Complex Fire are visible on a dead tree Tuesday, April 11, 2023, near Pedro, Ohio, in the Wayne National Forest. (JOE TIMMERMAN | FOR THE POST)
8 / APRIL 27, 2023
hundreds of years; many have been deadly, costly and destructive. Climate change contributes to unprecedented fires in places like California, which had its largest wildfire ever recorded in 2020 and has fueled fires that have burned in Southeast Ohio. According to a report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program, changes in climate lead to longer active fire seasons as weather patterns create warmer and drier conditions. Although not the only factor, climate change has played a significant role. Climate-charged fuel For regions that are usually temperate and have predictable rainy seasons — like Southeast Ohio — climate change could also lengthen fire seasons in the area. Dr. Nancy Manring, associate professor of political science and director of the environmental science and sustainability program at Ohio University, said she believes climate change is a powerful force that could lengthen the fire season in the region. "My understanding of climate instability is that if major global weather systems shifted, then it's at least conceivable that the huge amounts of rain that we seem to be getting, that might go away, it might go somewhere else," Manring said. "It's possible that we could be in an extended drought and then given all these forests around us wildfire would be something to worry about." Alongside climate change, weather patterns can also greatly impact how wildfires burn, where they move and their duration. Maddy Zarembka, a senior studying meteorology and the lead forecaster at the Scalia Laboratory, said wind shifts are a big factor when battling wildfires. "When you have that big of a wind shift, it can cause a fire to move in a different direction," she said. "So you have to make people aware — maybe the firefighters that are out fighting this fire — when that wind shift is going to happen because that can make a big impact on where the fire goes." When wildfires burn, they release copious amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which warms the planet and contributes to climate change. At the same time, climate change is a factor that has resulted in the birth of more wildfires, creating a perpetual, disastrous cycle. According to the U.S. Forest Service, in Ohio, wildfires can occur at any point of the year, but many of those wildfires frequently happen during the spring and autumn fire seasons. In Southeast Ohio, an average of about 400 wildfires occur every year, many of which are started by humans. Locally, those fires stem from campfires, debris burning and illegally started fires. Typically, wildfires in the area are small and burn less than 10 acres, and larger fires are rare. Kyle Brooks, Wayne National Forest public affairs specialist, said that the majority of wildfires that occur in Southeast Ohio are small in size, but because of climate change,