Residents watch the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on August 17, 2023, from Kelowna. There are no droppings, no tracks, no nests or other traces of wildlife left in what remains of Canada's boreal forests scorched by record wildfires this year. AFPPIX: Shifting weather patterns caused by climate change are limiting when controlled burns can be carried out to prevent wildfires in the western United States, a new study warns.
To examine how climate change might affect that, scientists from the University of California and Washington State University used computer modelling. In localised areas, modelling showed small increases in the number of suitable days, though the paper warns those gains may be temporary. The authors note that winter, while not currently a time used for prescribed burns in the region, should stay as favourable, or become even more so in some areas.