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Wildfires in Colorado have scorched of land, more than twice the size of Denver, as of late July, surpassing the state’s average .

The fires, including three of the largest in Colorado history, have already destroyed hundreds of properties and killed four firefighters. Fire ecologists warn that the damage is likely to grow.��

“Fires are here to stay,” said , director of Earth Lab at the (CIRES) at CU �ֲ���ý.��

“If we keep doing what we've been doing—if we don't take action on climate change and reduce fuel accumulation, and we continue developing in fire-prone areas, people in Colorado will face an increased risk of losing their homes to wildfires in the future.”��

Virginia Iglesias

Iglesias and her team have found that in recent decades, making them more destructive and dangerous.��

With burning across Colorado, and dozens more ravaging communities across the western United States and Canada, CU �ֲ���ý Today sat down with her to talk about this fire season. She explained why wildfires have been particularly severe this year, whether relief may be on the horizon and what people can do to protect themselves and their property.

What’s driving this year’s intense wildfires?

For a fire to start and spread, first we need fuel, which includes trees, grasses and shrubs, but also our homes. We've been working on suppressing fires in the wild for decades, so there is a lot of vegetation accumulated across the landscape, and it is ready to burn.

Second, this vegetation is very, very dry. We’ve been in a prolonged drought in the western United States, partly as a result of climate change. This past winter, Colorado��had very little snow. The dry condition makes fuel more likely to catch on fire and spread. ��

The third factor is ignition, which can come from lightning or people. As cities continue to expand, we’ve been developing homes and bringing ignition sources like cars, recreation and power lines into areas that are fire-prone.�� ��

This year, all three factors have come together to create a particularly challenging wildfire season.

Are wildfires becoming more destructive across the American West?

published last year showed that the speed at which a wildfire spreads is a major factor in how destructive it becomes. We found that fast-moving fires were responsible for 88% of homes destroyed by wildfires between 2001 and 2020, even though they accounted for just 2.7% of all recorded blazes.

Fires that spread rapidly are much harder to fight, because emergency resources cannot be deployed quickly enough, and firefighters cannot quickly contain the fire. They also make evacuations much more challenging, posing a greater threat to lives.

And wildfires are spreading faster across the American West. There's growing evidence that climate change is responsible for a large share of the area burned each year, and it also makes fires more intense. We're now leading a new project called the Fast Fire Network to better understand what drives these fast-moving fires and why some communities are more vulnerable to them than others.

Are we expecting some relief soon?

The rainfall that could really help us out right now would come from the North American monsoon, when moisture flows from the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California northward and produces afternoon thunderstorms across the American Southwest.

Typically, the monsoon starts to develop in Mexico in June and reaches our area in July. But this year, it’s a little delayed. We are expecting some moisture to arrive in early August. Those rains should help reduce fire risks.

That said, thunderstorms also bring lightning and strong wind gusts that may start new fires or help existing ones spread.

What can people do to protect their homes from wildfires?

Our upcoming research shows that without meaningful action, the risk of losing a home to wildfire could rise rapidly over the coming decades.

Much of that increase in risk comes from expanding urban development into the wildland-urban interface, where homes are built very close to flammable vegetation.

Fortunately, there are things we could do, such as using fire-resilient roofing materials, which many homes in Colorado are already equipped with. Another strategy is creating "defensible space" around homes. The first 5 feet surrounding a house should contain nothing that can burn.����

Organizations like�� and the provide great guidelines for homeowners on measures that can reduce the probability of a fire reaching our homes.��

What are some immediate actions individuals can take to adapt to this new era of fire?

Fuel is already present, and drought cannot be reversed in the short term. The one factor we can immediately influence is ignition.

Avoiding activities that can throw sparks on hot, dry, windy days, such as lawnmowers and chainsaws; and being careful with campfires, following fire restrictions and disposing of cigarettes safely can all help limit wildfire risk.

As wildfires move faster, it's important to remember we now have less time to react. If an evacuation order is issued, act immediately. Fires can spread much more quickly than they did in the past.