Questions for Discussion Which type of sustainability issue do wildfires fall under? How so?

Learning Goal: I’m working on a ecology writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.Is it just me or does it seem like wildfires in California are getting more larger and more frequent? Well, it turns out its not just me. The data show that wildfires in California are indeed on the increase. Indeed, wildfires in our state are burning hotter and faster than ever before. In addition, wildfire season is growing longer as well. Look at the graph (above right). This graph shows the number of autumn days with extreme Fire Weather Index (FWI95) values in California (Goss, et al, 2020). The Fire Weather Index (FWI) takes into account weather factors, such as temperature, humidity, and wind, and combines it with other factors, such as vegetation moisture levels, to provide an index of wildfire risk. The graph above clearly shows an upward trend in the number of days with extreme fire weather. So what factors are behind the increasing risk posed by wildfires? And what role, if any, is climate change playing in the increase? A group of researchers recently set out to answer this question. In this Sustainability Thread, we will focus on one of these researchers: Dr. Daniel Swain, a research scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and also at University of California Los Angeles’ Institute of the Environment.
Let’s do this:
Read this blog post (Links to an external site.) from Dr. Swain, posted on Sept 18, 2020, to his popular blog “WeatherWest”. It provides a nice, readable summary of his work investigating the link between wildfires and climate change in California.
Watch this interview (Links to an external site.) with Dr. Swain by Bloomberg’s QuickTake from Sept 15, 2020 (also embedded below) Answer the Questions for Discussion in the Reply box at the bottom of this page
Questions for Discussion Which type of sustainability issue do wildfires fall under? How so? (We have learned that there are three types of sustainability issues in Earth Science: natural resources, environmental health, and natural hazards. For help, review the Week 1 Lecture Slides )
How is climate change affecting the risk of wildfires in California? (Be as specific as possible)
Aside from climate change, what other factors are adding to the increased risk of wildfires in California?
Which parts of California are likely to see the biggest increases in wildfire risk over the coming decades? Is the northern San Joaquin Valley one of them?
In your opinion/experience, how could an increase in wildfires elsewhere in California affect us in the northern San Joaquin Valley, even if we don’t see wildfires here ? Reply Guidelines:
Original reply should be 150-300 words