Arizona blaze part of new era: more big wildfires
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, AP Science Writer
15 June 2011 WASHINGTON — The fires searing parts of the West are an eerie echo of the past, a frightening reminder of a once terrible danger that had been held largely at bay for decades. The number of large wildfires has been rising for roughly the past 25 years, and they are lasting longer amid fire seasons that also last longer. … Thomas W. Swetnam of the University of Arizona said frequent and extensive fires were common before 1900, and tree ring records show they occurred at the same times in many areas of the West. “What’s different about this (Arizona) fire is the severity, the intensity of the heat and the amount of trees that are killed,” he said. It’s at least partly because the lack of frequent surface fires allowed fuel like brush and leaves to accumulate over the years. Add high temperatures and windy conditions and the scene is set for a devastating fire. … Over a century ago, massive and deadly forest fires plagued America. The deadliest wildfire in American history killed an estimated 2,200 people and destroyed more than 2,400 square miles of forest around Peshtigo, Wis. But that blaze gets little attention because it occurred on the same day in 1871 as the “Great Chicago Fire,” which killed 300 people a couple hundred miles to the south.
