'Fast' wildfires are gaining even more speed

Our battle against wildfires is becoming a race against time. Researchers discovered that nearly 90 percent of the damages caused by wildfires in the United States, from 2001 to 2020, were due to quick-burning fires. That’s right, the speedsters of the fire world are causing some serious damage.

These so-called “fast fires” are the Usain Bolts of the fire kingdom – shooting embers into the air and quickly encroaching on whatever lies in their path. And before emergency responders can even get their boots on, these fires could have already ignited neighborhoods.

Fast wildfires picking up speed

Fast fires are gaining even more speed, especially in the Western U.S., posing a growing risk for millions of people.

The U.S. does a fantastic job at prepping for many hazards. Yet, when it comes to fire speed, our national-level risk assessments seem to have a blind spot.

These assessments don’t take into account the speed of fires or offer insight into how communities can better prepare for these rapid-fire events. It’s a bit like going on a road trip and not considering the speed bumps on the highway.

Wildfire speed matters more than size

The study was led by Jennifer Balch, a CIRES fellow and associate professor of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“We hear a lot about megafires because of their size, but if we want to protect our homes and communities, we really need to appreciate and prepare for how fast fires move,” said Balch. “Speed matters more for keeping people safe.”

Jennifer and her team felt a personal connection to this issue after the Marshall Fire tore through over 1,000 homes in Boulder County, Colorado, in December 2021. The fire consumed less than 6,100 acres, but the combination of dry conditions and furious winds made it swiftly destructive.

Growth rate of fast wildfires

The researchers sifted through satellite data, analyzed growth rates of over 60,000 fires in the U.S. from 2001 to 2020, and applied a set of calculations to each satellite pixel. They identified and recorded the perimeter of each fire for each day it was active.

“Until now, we had scattered information about fire speed,” said Virginia Iglesias, interim director of Earth Lab and co-author of the study. “We harnessed Earth observations and remote sensing data to learn about fire growth across the nation in a systematic manner.”

The team then studied the fastest fires, which grew more than 4,003 acres in a single day, and observed how the highest growth rates changed over time. They found a striking 250 percent increase in the average maximum growth rate of the fastest wildfires over the last two decades in the Western U.S.

Impact of fast fires

When the researchers compared the growth rates of the fastest fires to the number of structures damaged or destroyed per fire event, they found that fast fires were responsible for 88 percent of the homes destroyed between 2001 and 2020, although they only represented 2.7 percent of fires in the record.

Climate change has undeniably amplified the conditions conducive to these rapid wildfires. Rising global temperatures result in prolonged droughts and parched vegetation, creating an ideal fuel source for fast fires.

Moreover, the escalation of extreme weather patterns, such as high winds and heatwaves, intensifies the speed and ferocity of these blazes. Researchers emphasize that understanding this climate-fire nexus is critical for predicting future fire behavior and implementing effective mitigation strategies.

By addressing the root causes of climate change, we might hope to slow down the fire juggernaut threatening our landscapes and communities.

Pressing challenges of wildfire management

The pressing challenge posed by fast fires necessitates innovative approaches in fire management and prevention.

Strategies such as employing advanced technology, predictive modeling, and real-time data analysis are becoming quintessential in fire mitigation efforts.

These tools allow for more accurate forecasting and faster response times, thus safeguarding vulnerable areas.

Communities are also turning towards adaptive land management practices, such as strategic firebreaks and prescribed burns, to reduce fuel availability and wildfire severity.

By integrating cutting-edge science with traditional knowledge, the pathway towards more resilient ecosystems and communities becomes attainable.

Need for a shift in perspective

“When it comes to safeguarding infrastructure and orchestrating efficient evacuations, the speed of a fire’s growth is arguably more critical than its sheer size,” Iglesias said.

Incorporating growth rate or other measures of fire speed into government agencies and insurance companies’ models could provide homeowners with crucial information on how fires spread and what they can do to protect themselves and their communities.

The study is published in the journal Science.

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