Wildfires Wreaked Havoc in 2021. Here’s the Recap

There is no official wildfire season. While Hurricane Season has official start and end dates, the same isn’t the case for wildfires. The US Forest Service once characterized it as a four-month-long fire season starting in late summer or early fall, but we’re now seeing wildfires for six to eight months of the year.

Wildfires are starting earlier in the year and burning later and later. These fires are also burning at a higher intensity than before, which scientists have attributed to climate change.

Below we’ll look at what happened in 2021.

Second Largest Recorded Fire in California

The Dixie fire, which started in Feather River Canyon near Cresta Dam on July 13, 2021, and burned 963,309 acres, is the second-largest fire in California’s history. The largest was Creek Fire, which burned in 2020.

It was 100% contained on October 25, 2021, but not before it caused unhealthy air quality in states as far east as Utah and Colorado. While the cause is still under investigation, PG&E believes the fire may have been started by its equipment.

Highest Estimated Wildfire Emissions

Wildfires emitted 1.76bn tonnes of carbon globally in 2021, which is equivalent to more than double Germany’s annual CO2 emissions. Parts of Siberia, Turkey, Tunisia, and the American West all set records for their highest emissions since records began in 2003.

Drought Drove Wildfire Severity

According to the US Drought Monitor, many regions of the US are currently dealing with the most severe level of drought they’ve ever seen. This has been a major factor in the severity and duration of wildfires this year.

Strong winds, high heat, low humidity, and lightning created ideal conditions for wildfires to spread. Unfortunately, the severe weather events that produce these conditions are becoming more common due to the effects of climate change.

Largest Tree on Earth Came Under Threat

The KNP Complex fire burned more than 2,000 giant sequoias. The second-largest tree on Earth — the General Grant Tree, which stood at 267 feet high and 29 feet around — perished in the fire. The General Sherman Tree, which has been alive for more than 2,300 years, came under threat but survived.

Lack of Shared Resources

While the US and Canada normally share wildfire resources, that didn’t happen this year due to the intensity of wildfires in both countries.