Human-caused wildfires destroying more homes, buildings in the West
A fire reported Nov. 30, 2021, burned through the town of Denton, Montana. It destroyed 25 primary structures, 18 secondary structures and six commercial structures. (Photo by Keila Szpaller, Daily Montanan)
Wildfires started by humans accounted for more than three-quarters of the homes and buildings lost to fire in the West during the past two decades, and structure losses increased by nearly 250% from 2010 to 2020 over the prior decade, according to new research led by a University of Montana fire ecologist.
The report from Philip Higuera, a UM fire ecologist and professor, and his co-researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, provides public officials, developers and citizens more information on how to potentially curb the costliest damage from wildfire as the climate changes, fire seasons expand and people increasingly move into wildfire-prone areas of the western U...
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