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Experts say urban sprawl, climate change hike wildfire risk

Experts say urban sprawl, climate change hike wildfire risk

6 years ago
Anonymous $dicfOfy7s2

https://phys.org/news/2018-07-experts-urban-sprawl-climate-hike.html

Hotter weather attributed to climate change is drying out vegetation, creating more intense fires that spread quickly from rural areas to city subdivisions, climate and fire experts say. But they also blame municipalities that are expanding housing into previously undeveloped areas.

"There are just places were there should not be subdivisions," said Kurt Henke, a former fire chief in Sacramento who now serves as a consultant to fire organizations. "We're not talking about a single family who wants to build a house in the woods. I'm talking about subdivisions encroaching into the wild land urban interface that put them in the path of these destructive fires."