It's July, temps are escalating, and the forest fire season is upon us.  Fires occur each and every year and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  But how much of the recent activity is natural and healthy and how much of it is the result of a larger problem.  According to Climate Central, "the state of Washington, like other Western states [in recent years], has seen a significant increase in wildfires. So far, almost twice as much land has burned this decade than during the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s combined. Almost all of this activity has been on the drier east side of the Cascade Mountains." 

This has caused scientists to look at climate change as a key factor to this increase.  "Since the 1950’s, temperatures in the state have been rising; spring temperatures, in particular, have gone up nearly three degrees on average," continues the article in Climate Central.  "Natural variability still makes some years warmer, some cooler, but the overall trend has been upward. And in years with unusually warm temperatures, more acreage tends to go up in smoke." 

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