Natural History Wanderings

NPR Reports

More than 8 in 10 fires are started by people. Researchers say humans are not only causing the vast majority of wildfires, they’re extending the normal fire season around the U.S. by three months.

Fire ecologist Melissa Forder says about 60 percent of fires in national parks are caused by humans: “intentionally set fires, buildings burning and spreading into the forest, smoking, equipment malfunctions and campfires.”

But the average for all forests is even higher. The latest research shows that nationwide, humans cause more than 8 in 10 — 84 percent.

Read full story at Humans Are The Leading Cause Of Wildfires In The U.S. : The Two-Way : NPR