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Utility-caused wildfires are a subset of human-caused wildfires that are directly ignited by utilities, usually power lines. They are unplanned ignitions that can cause wild burns. [ 1 ] Hotter and drier weather as a result of climate change has been liked to lower moisture content in vegetation , which, along with high tree mortality has ...
A vast majority of wildfires are started by people. Human-caused wildfires account for 88% of all wildfires in the United States on average over the last 10 years, according to the National ...
Wildfire burning in the Kaibab National Forest, Arizona, United States, in 2020.The Mangum Fire burned more than 70,000 acres (280 km 2) of forest.. A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation.
Between 1970 and 2015, three times more "large fires" (fires that burn 1,000 acres or more) occurred in the Western U.S., with six times more acreage burnt, more than 1.7 million acres annually. [23] Between 1970 and 2003, the region experienced wildfire seasons that were 78 days longer. [24]
"The past has taught us that utility equipment is a leading cause of California's deadliest wildfires. This historical pattern cannot be ignored when discussing preventive measures," Florez said.
It showed that the most common causes of wildfires from 1992 to 2020 were mishaps related to vehicles and other equipment. “More than 95% of these are human-ignited fires,” he wrote in an email.
Wildfires can occur due to natural or man-made elements. The four most common natural elements that can cause a wildfire are lightning, an eruption from a volcano, sparks from a rockfall, and spontaneous combustion. [12] [13] The most common man-made causes for wildfires include debris burning or other carelessness and arson.
Such storm clouds can cause lightning strikes, which could ignite yet more fires nearby. The Santa Ana winds appear to have accelerated the LA wildfires [Getty Images] This interplay of wind and ...