Jack Scheff on fire risk in Charlotte
Jack Scheff, assistant professor of Geography and Earth Sciences, was interviewed by WFAE for ‘Fire risk in Charlotte: Is climate change creating the perfect storm for wildfires?’
In the wake of the devastating California wildfires, people across the country are wondering whether they are similarly at risk. Although the risk of wildfires spreading the same way in Charlotte as California is less likely due to the differing forest ecology, wetter climate, and a lower chance of extreme winds, climate change is increasing the risk everywhere.
“The warmer that the climate is, the longer that you have to wait for the next rainstorm, because the warmer air holds more water vapor in it, and it takes longer to get that air re-saturated before the next storm,” said Scheff.