The role of climate change in an unusual outbreak of wildfires in the Northeast

For years, wildfires across the American West have served as an urgent reminder of the threat posed by extreme weather, often made worse by climate change. But over the last few weeks, fires have engulfed parts of New York and New Jersey amid an unusually severe drought on the East Coast. Hilary Howard, a climate change reporter for The New York Times, joins William Brangham to discuss.
William Brangham:
For years, wildfires across the American west have served as an urgent reminder of the threat posed by extreme weather, which is often made worse by climate change. But over the last few weeks, nearly 3,000 miles across the country, fires have engulfed parts of the Hudson Valley, stretching between New York and New Jersey, sending smoke into New York City, reducing air quality and turning the skyline a hazy gray.
Often driven by high winds the nearly 5,000 acre Jennings Creek fire has gained ground because of an unusually severe drought that’s occurring on the East Coast.
Hilary Howard is a climate change reporter for the New York Times. Hillary, thank you so much for being here. I mentioned how this region is in the middle of an awful drought, but how did this fire initially start and how did it get so bad?
Hilary Howard, Climate Change Reporter, The New York Times:
We don’t know how the fire initially started because it is in an area that’s quite rugged and mountainous. And firefighters have simply been trying to contain ablaze over the past week so that it doesn’t spread further. They’re not able to get into the source of it because it’s so impassable. But the cause is still under investigation.
William Brangham:
As many people know, this is not a region that is used to wildfires. Do they have the fire crews and the personnel to attack this as needed?
Hilary Howard:
From what I understand, it’s all hands on deck. Volunteer firefighters are joining up with state professionals, emergency workers, marine crews have filled in, but it’s taking everyone with any sort of training at this point to help with these fires.
William Brangham:
I know that this is also a big agricultural area, and some of my colleagues recently talked with a farmer down there, a man named Rocky Hazelman, who’s a farmer in West Milford, New Jersey. Here’s what he had to say about just how dry it is.
Rocky Hazelman, Farmer:
So we’ve seen more than 40 days without real meaningful rain. We had one just a week ago, which kind of gave us a little bit of hope, but nothing since then, the 40 days has dried out both reservoirs, our local pond, and our underground storage tanks where we collect rainwater. But we’re finding that we have to turn to the wells now because the surface water has disappeared.
William Brangham:
How much has this drought exacerbated this fire?
Hilary Howard:
Dry conditions or a drought. They are the reason for the fire or the reason the fire spreads so rapidly. Right. So, it starts with global warming. And if you just break it down, very simply, the earth is getting hotter. Right.
So, one end of the spectrum, hot air holds more moisture. So when it rains, it pours and therefore floods.
But when there is a high pressure system in place, which is what the situation is in the Northeast right now, and it’s impossible to rain, that same hot air sucks up all the moisture from the ground and the vegetation and just makes ready made fuel for these fires to spread.
William Brangham:
And how are people dealing with it? Again, if you’re not used to it, if you grew up in California or the Pacific Northwest, you’re used to warnings about fires and how to prepare. How have people in this region been dealing with this?
Hilary Howard:
I think we’re all learning on the fly. It’s really important if you’re on social media, to follow, say, if you’re in New York City, the New York City Office of Emergency Management, they put out alerts. You can sign up to get alerts on your cell phone. There are Facebook community groups that alert you to when the air quality will be bad.
There’s an app that the EPA puts out air now where you can plug in your zip code and find out if the air is healthy to be outside in. So there are lots of software and Internet tricks in order to stay cognizant of what’s going on. Right. And then in terms of how not to start a fire yourself is just common sense.
I was at a press conference with Governor Phil Murphy the other day, and it sounds really simple, but if you have a wood burning stove or outdoor fire, ashes, when you dispose of them, you put them in a closed container, you certainly don’t discard the cigarette outside. You don’t hand a lighter over to your child or play with it yourself. You don’t mess with fireworks. I mean, it’s just common sense at this point. And you certainly don’t have a campfire outside right now.
It’s just — and a burn ban is in place in New Jersey and in New York for that very reason.
William Brangham:
What do these wildfires now occurring in the Northeast tell us about the ongoing struggle against climate change?
Hilary Howard:
That it’s completely unpredictable. The Northeast over the last 10 years has been known for its historic flooding and its general saturation of the earth. And now we’re dealing with a parched and in some areas, scorched earth situation. And it’s a roll of the dice as to which one it will be at this point.
William Brangham:
All right, Hilary Howard of the New York Times, thank you so much for talking with us.
Hilary Howard:
Thank you.