Although wildfires have burned increasing land area in recent decades, a new Nature Communications study found a persistent fire deficit in many North American forest ecosystems. This means that forests today experience fewer fires than they did historically due to decades of fire suppression, land use changes, and the disruption of traditional burning practices. Before 1880, fires were a frequent and natural part of many North American forests, burning regularly with lower intensity, which helped clear excess vegetation and maintain healthy ecosystems. In modern times, fire suppression practices allow forests to build up thick layers of dry fuel, leading to bigger, hotter, and more destructive wildfires than ever before. Using tree-ring fire scars, or marks left on trees by past fires, scientists reconstructed centuries of fire history, comparing past fire patterns to modern wildfire activity. They found that even in years with record-breaking fire seasons, overall fire occurrence remains below historical levels. However, the results indicate that fire severity has increased, contributing to greater forest loss and heightened risks to communities and ecosystems.
