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WSU researchers found that recent wildfires have been getting hotter, occurring more often and burning more acreage. In some of the areas the researchers studied, climate change caused fires. In other areas, the cause was fire suppression, said Erin Hanan, lead author and postdoctoral researcher at WSU. When people, such as firefighters, suppress forest fires, this results in a buildup of plants on the ground. Without fires burning and clearing away the plants, the plants continue to grow and amass. These dry plants are at a higher risk of burning, which causes larger forest fires, said Jennifer Adam, WSU civil and environmental engineering professor. ....
HOOD RIVER â For decades, climate researchers have warned that as atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, the Pacific Northwest will have less snow and consequently less water to irrigate its crops. As if to hammer the point home, this year Oregon experienced yet another drought due in part to rising temperatures and melting snow. In 2020, Oregon experienced some of its driest conditions on record. And yet, despite the overall lack of precipitation, the stateâs mountains received more or less normal amounts of snow. However, above-average spring temperatures melted mountain snow several weeks earlier than normal in several Oregon basins. This led to water flushing through local rivers and streams before it could be used for irrigation during the late spring and summer growing seasons. As temperatures continued to rise throughout the summer, water shortages and drought declarations followed. ....