Climate change may make wildfires worse | Things To Do | waow.com - WAOW

Climate change may make wildfires worse | Things To Do | waow.com

WISCONSIN (WAOW) -- Climate change has been a growing concern for decades, and the recent wildfires in Canada are bringing a changing environment sharply into focus.

Experts say that, while wildfires are normal for our the ecosystem, climate change is making them longer and more intense.

"We have had wildfires...basically ever since the Earth began, but the thing with climate change is it is making blocking patterns more common," explained Stormtrack 9 meteorologist Tony Schumacher.

The blocking systems he mentioned are high pressure patterns in the mid- and upper atmosphere that prevent the normal flow of weather systems.

Weather aside, wildfires could also affect the financial stability of the Badger state.

"The drying out the vegetation more than usual is making the ground dryer, making all the fuels that are sitting on the ground and the bushes more explosive," explained Schumacher. "So once fires do develop they become bigger."