Wildfires

Wildfires have occurred on our planet for millions of years, helping bring new growth and diversity to forests and ecosystems. Weather and climate play a central role in wildfire occurrence. Changes to our climate, however, and the effects of human activity, have impacted wildfire patterns, resulting in increased risk of major wildfire events like those seen this summer in Europe, North America and Asia. In this episode, we are exploring wildfires, how they start, how they spread, how best to tackle and prevent them, and the role played by climate change. Noel first speaks with Dublin fire fighter and wildfire instructor Darren O’Connor on the challenges and science of tackling wildfires and the techniques used to manage the flames. Noel is then joined by Jennifer Baron, wildfire researcher at the University of British Columbia in Canada, to discuss the huge fires they’ve experienced in recent years and how human activity and climate change have impacted their patterns.