The darkness of night has traditionally signalled reprieve for wildland firefighters, but a new Canadian study shows that’s changing, and drought is the driving force.
The availability of bone-dry fuels is the key mechanism promoting extreme fire behaviour and growth at night, the study says, though warming temperatures are also eroding the “climatological barrier” that has typically limited overnight burning.
Uncovering the role of drought led the researchers to further show that daytime conditions can be used to predict whether a fire will continue to burn and possibly spread through the night — information that could be crucial for firefighting efforts.