incoherentmess

Partly yes, but 10 years ago, or even 5, were not even 1% as bad as they are now. Forest litter, undergrowth and logging practices didn't really change in that time, but the heat did. Drought cycles have happened periodically, but the fires didn't get anywhere like this. I think we've pushed the limits of a complex system and we're seeing the beginnings of a sudden and dramatic shift.

Look at wildfires probably anywhere on the planet. The trend is the same, independent of policy.

I've currently got a big wildfire within walking distance from me. I moved to the community where I live less than a decade ago and there were never any serious wildfires, now we have a major one every year and it looks like there won't be much unburnt forest left after the next decade is out. And if it isn't the fire that kills the forest, the heat will. We've started to see a lot of trees dying off in local populations during the past 2 years. Can't find a spot of forest without a bunch of fresh snags mixed in anymore.

I almost got caught in a fire a few years ago and thought it was a freak event but it's really just a new normal. I'll be moving soon, not sure where, but I'm fed up.

/rant