The Scorched South: How The Region's Wildfire History Is Reemerging With Climate Change

The country's biggest blazes are out West, but every region of the country has experienced major wildfires -- and could see more soon.

View this email online by Christopher Dean Hopkins NPR The West is known for raging wildfires, but it actually has fewer every year than the South. They're usually smaller and grab less attention, but in 2016 a series of blazes — strengthened by unusually hot and dry weather — burned through tens of thousands of acres in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. As the climate warms, the risk of these blazes is growing, but more and more people are moving into fire-prone forested areas without even realizing it — especially in the booming South. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Arvin Temkar for NPR A sign tracks local wildfire risk in Georgia. "It's just sort of forgotten in the modern era that fire can happen anywhere in this country," says Crystal Kolden, a fire ecologist. "And with climate change it’s going to happen more frequently in places like the Northeast, in places like Appalachia, in places like the Upper Midwest." In places where people are building more homes than in any other part of the country. Places you don’t think of as fire-prone. Places where residents are unprepared. Find Out More Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy