The Surprising Menace: How a Widespread Plant is Heightening the Threat of Wildfire Catastrophes
Discover how a common, sturdy, and deceptively benign plant is contributing to the rise of intense, rapid-spreading, and devastating wildfires across the nation.
Grass, a common and tough plant, is playing a key role in the rise of devastating wildfires in the United States. It spreads easily and may seem harmless, but when the weather is dry, it can act as fuel for fires.
Just like sunshine, grass is abundant and can quickly turn into a dangerous element during wildfires. With just a small spark, it has the potential to ignite and spread rapidly, fueling the intensity of large and destructive fires.
Planet-warming emissions are causing disruptions in temperature and precipitation, leading to an increase in both the size and frequency of fires. These fires are contributing to a destructive cycle of ecological damage, ultimately promoting the growth of grass.
According to Adam Mahood, a research ecologist at the US Department of Agriculture's research service, there is a type of grass that can adapt and thrive in almost any environment. He mentioned that even in a small unpaved area of 10 feet, you are likely to find some form of grass growing.
Grass fires may not be as intense or long-lasting as forest fires, but they can spread much faster, overwhelming firefighting efforts and reaching homes built near fire-prone areas, according to experts interviewed by CNN.
A recent study revealed that in the past thirty years, the number of homes destroyed by wildfires in the US has more than doubled. Surprisingly, most of these homes were not lost to forest fires, but rather to fires sweeping through grasslands and shrubs.
The study discovered that the West is the most vulnerable region, with over two-thirds of homes destroyed in the past 30 years located there. Among these homes, almost 80% were lost in grass and shrub fires.
Christmas lights adorn a house as the Marshall Fire rages in the background on December 30, 2021, in Louisville, Colorado.
Christmas lights adorn a house as the Marshall Fire rages in the background on December 30, 2021, in Louisville, Colorado.
Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Gr/Denver Post/Getty Images
More and more people are choosing to build their homes closer to fire-prone wildlands, known as the wildland-urban interface. Since the 1990s, the amount of land burning in this area has increased significantly. At the same time, the number of houses in this interface has also grown. A study conducted in 2020 revealed that there were around 44 million houses in the interface, marking a 46% increase over the past 30 years.
Living in areas that are more likely to catch fire poses obvious risks. Additionally, because humans are responsible for starting most fires, this also raises the likelihood of a fire starting in the first place.
More than 80,000 homes are located in the wildland-urban interface, in the less populated areas of Kansas and Colorado that Bill King oversees. According to the US Forest Service officer, living on the border of nature demands proactive measures to avoid devastation.
King emphasized the importance of property owners taking responsibility as well. He mentioned that these fires can grow extremely large and intense, especially when driven by strong winds. In some cases, they can even spot miles ahead, despite having a substantial fuel break in place.
‘A perfect storm’ for fire
Climate change-fueled fire is attacking the western half of the US on all fronts.
John Abatzoglou, a climate professor at the University of California, Merced, explains that globally, the places that experience the most wildfires are those with moderate levels of precipitation. It's similar to the story of Goldilocks - not too wet, not too dry, just right, with enough ignition sources available.
In the grassy heartland of America, specifically the typically dry and windy Plains, a combination of extreme weather conditions throughout the year is creating perfect fuel conditions for wildfires in the abundant perennial grasses found in this region. Compared to other parts of the US, there is a higher concentration of grass here, providing a continuous source of fuel for fires to consume.
Aerial view of wildfires in Texasm U.S., February 27, 2024 in this picture obtained from social media. Patrick Ryan/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
The aerial view shows wildfires in Texas, U.S. on February 27, 2024. The image was obtained from social media and credited to Patrick Ryan via REUTERS. Please note that this image has been supplied by a third party and should not be resold or archived.
Patrick Ryan/Reuters
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The increase in wildfires is being fueled by a warming climate, leading to more frequent and destructive fires in the region. Examples include Texas's largest fire, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, and Colorado's Marshall Fire, which destroyed over 1,000 homes in 2021.
Rainy springs help grass grow more. In the winter, the grass goes dormant. Warmer winters with less snow cover, especially in the Northern Plains, expose the grass to warmer, drier spells in the late winter and early spring, according to King and Todd Lindley, a fire weather expert for the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
The charred remains of vehicles sit behind a shop that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire when it burned its way through the Texas Panhandle on March 2, 2024.
The charred remains of vehicles sit behind a shop that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire when it burned its way through the Texas Panhandle on March 2, 2024.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Grass is very flammable because it is highly affected by the weather, according to Lindley. In contrast to forests, grass can quickly dry out and become highly flammable even after just a short period of warm and dry weather. In just an hour or a day after rain, the moisture can be completely gone from the grass. When you add a spark, strong winds, and invasive shrubs that burn intensely and for a long time, you have a dangerous situation for a grass fire.
Abatzoglou explained that when you have a series of extreme weather events happening one after the other, it can create the perfect conditions for wildfires to spread rapidly. This combination of factors can lead to a wildfire outbreak.
Grass invasion
Extreme drought and years of forest neglect are creating larger and more intense fires in western forests, King said.
"When I began my career 30 years ago, a large fire covering 30,000 acres was considered significant. However, nowadays, such fires have become common and expected," said King. "I used to encounter maybe one or two fires of that size each year, but now we are seeing forest fires that span over 1 million acres."
Grass also plays a crucial role in forest ecosystems by acting as a pathway that connects easily ignitable fine fuels to larger, drought-affected tree systems. This connection leads to the creation and rapid spread of more intense fires.
When trees die, grass quickly takes their place. Grass is able to bounce back from fire much faster than other plants, and it can even catch fire again in just a few months. King has witnessed this phenomenon firsthand.
Burned cars and homes are seen in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire on August 18, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. The fire burned rapidly through invasive grass.
Burned cars and homes are seen in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire on August 18, 2023 in Lahaina, Hawaii. The fire burned rapidly through invasive grass.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
King mentioned that green grasses can quickly sprout in a burned-grass landscape, showing how fast it can rejuvenate. He also pointed out that forest recovery may take years, generations, or never fully recover in our lifetime.
In the Western region, the vegetation that is lost due to fires is being replaced by a mix of native and nonnative grasses.
In the desert, fires are now getting bigger due to the creation of fire in areas where it did not exist before, according to USDA’s Mahood. This is because of drought-fueled fires that are fueled by annual grasses. Unlike the perennial grasses found in the Plains, these annual grasses do not exist year-round.
These grasses thrive by taking advantage of occasional bursts of rain to spread and grow, before eventually dying. As a result, they leave behind a carpet of fuel on the desert floor, contributing to the increase in the size of fires in desert regions.
Joshua Trees burn in the York Fire, Sunday, July 30, 2023, in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif. Crews battled "fire whirls" in California's Mojave National Preserve this weekend as a massive wildfire crossed into Nevada amid dangerously high temperatures and raging winds. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)
On Sunday, July 30, 2023, the York Fire engulfed Joshua Trees in the Mojave National Preserve, California. Firefighters fought against "fire whirls" as the wildfire spread into Nevada, fueled by extreme heat and strong winds. The situation was intense and challenging for the crews battling the blaze.
Ty O'Neil/AP
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Iconic Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert were destroyed by a massive wildfire. Two recent fires in California's Mojave National Preserve serve as perfect examples. These fires were fueled by invasive red brome grass, resulting in the burning of hundreds of thousands of acres of the Mojave Desert and over a million iconic Joshua Trees.
The hot and dry conditions are making it difficult for native plants to recover, leading to an increase in grass.
The iconic sagebrush ecosystem in the West, which is the largest in the Lower 48 states, has lost or degraded half of its area in the past 20 years. A study by USGS revealed that an area roughly the size of Delaware is being taken over by grass, fire, and other stressors every year.
With the increase in grass and various climate stressors, the risk of fires is also on the rise both now and in the future.
According to Mahood, the current situation may seem alarming, but it is likely to be even worse in the coming years. He pointed out that the severity of fire seasons has significantly increased over the past two decades, making the current situation seem relatively mild in comparison.
Editor's P/S:
The article paints a grim picture of the devastating impact wildfires are having on the United States, with grass playing a major role in their spread and intensity. The increase in grass growth due to climate change and human activities is creating a perfect storm for wildfires, with more homes and lives being lost each year.
It is clear that we need to take urgent action to address this issue. This includes reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change, managing forests and grasslands to reduce fuel loads, and educating the public about the dangers of wildfires. We also need to invest in research to develop new fire-resistant materials and technologies. By working together, we can reduce the risk of wildfires and protect our communities from this growing threat. communities and ecosystems in the face of a changing climate.
