Wildfire Risk Raised in 5 U.S. Areas

The widespread devastation of the out-of-control wildfires this month in Maui took many by surprise, and a new report published Wednesday revealed that many other U.S. regions face a similar threat.

The Maui wildfires in Hawaii were spurred by several environmental factors, including wind from Hurricane Dora and pre-existing drought. Their ferocity unleashed billions of dollars of destruction and killed more than 100 people. The number of fatalities is expected to rise as search efforts continue after the worst natural disaster in Maui's history.

Scientific American reported on Wednesday that there is a risk of wildfires of similar proportions in various areas across the U.S. based on a variety of factors such as drought and nearby vegetation.

One of the highest-risk areas is the foothills of California. The state's drought was largely eased last winter because of above-average precipitation, but meteorologists warned that the resulting explosion of vegetation growth could quickly become ample fuel for wildfires. More than 173,000 acres have burned from wildfires this year, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Hundreds of towns and cities throughout the U.S. are at a similar risk and several surprising areas joined California, including New Jersey's Pine Barrens; the Northern Great Plains; Staten Island, New York; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and much of the eastern U.S.

Gatlinburg is one example of a city that can be quickly overtaken by a wildfire. In 2016, flames quickly grew out of control after a fire sparked on a trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Strong winds spurred the fire, and a drought had already created ample fuel to feed the flames—a similar story to what happened in Maui. Fourteen people were killed, and the fire quickly grew to a "solid wall" in only seconds, according to the report.

"Anytime you have a location that is close to vegetation, you can have a fire risk," AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin told Newsweek.

The phenomenon is called wildland urban interface, in which human development is constructed near an environment ripe with wildfire fuel, such as vegetation. DePodwin said wildland urban interface is a common occurrence in much of the eastern U.S.

"It's what happened in Gatlinburg," DePodwin said. "You have human development close to a forest. Under the right conditions, there can be a significant fire that spreads rapidly."

Other areas encountering wildland urban interface are the marshy grasslands of Staten Island and the Pine Barrens.

The Pine Barrens offer massive amounts of fuel for potential fires in the form of pine trees. In the past, fires sweeping through the forests were fairly common, but land managers have worked to suppress the natural fires to preserve species like the pitch pine, Scientific American reported. However, now the towering forests could go up in flames in times of drought, and the fire could spread quickly.

"If the winds pick up, and we get an ignition, it can really move. And it can get ugly," G. Russell Juelg, senior land steward at the nonprofit New Jersey Conservation Foundation, told Scientific American.

Fires use urban settings as fuel, quickly consuming cars, buildings and nearby nature like trees and vegetation. However, barren environments also pose a risk, like the Northern Great Plains. Wide-open land creates the opportunity for high winds, which can spread flames quickly.

There are actions people can take to reduce the risk of a fire spreading through urban areas. DePodwin suggested that people in wildland urban interface areas clear the fuel from around their property, such as removing pine needles and leaves from their roofs. The actions can slow the fire's spread, preventing damage and potentially saving lives.