Humans Ignite Wildfire Forecasts

Assistant Professor of Geography Michael Mann found that people are at least as dangerous as nature when it comes to California’s devastating blazes. He also found that tracking human activity can be a key factor in predicting fires’ locations and preventing their outbreaks. Accounting for both climate change and human behavioral threats, Mann’s model allows experts to more accurately predict how much land is at risk of burning in California through 2050 — about 7 million acres over the next 25 years.