Study Reveals Climate Change Extends Wildfire Burning Hours in North America
A recent study has found that wildfires in North America are burning longer due to climate change, with flames lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning. This phenomenon is attributed to human-caused climate change, which is extending the hotter and drier conditions that fuel fires. Historically, wildfires would die down at night as temperatures dropped and humidity increased, but this is happening less frequently. The study, published in Science Advances, indicates that the number of hours when the weather is favorable for wildfires has increased by 36% over the past 50 years. Regions such as California have seen a significant rise in potential burning hours, with parts of southwestern New Mexico and central Arizona experiencing up to 2,000 more hours annually. The study highlights that the number of days with fire-prone weather has increased by 44%, effectively adding 26 days over the past half-century. 
