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Climate Change May Lead to More Wildfires

The Association for Fire Ecology adopted a declaration on climate change during this week's annual meeting in San Diego. The fire scientists say global warming may cause more wildfires. KPBS Reporter

The Association for Fire Ecology adopted a declaration on climate change during this week's annual meeting in San Diego. The fire scientists say global warming may cause more wildfires. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

The fire ecologists say they're worried that climate change will increase the number of large fires. Melanie Miller is a fire ecologist with the Bureau of Land Management in Montana. Miller says a predicted rise in global temperatures will spur severe fire weather and longer wildfire seasons.

Melanie Miller: The consensus is that climate will be changing and that the future conditions will be more conducive to wildland fire and that there will be conceivably more acreage burning with potentially more severe effects because it'll be drier when the fires are occurring.

Miller says the fire scientists want climate change included in any long-range land management planning. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.