Brian Lattimer, department head and professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech
Newswise — The threat of wildfires is generally impacted by the availability of dry vegetation, high temperatures, and high winds. According to wildfire expert Brian Lattimer, this year, El Niño has caused wetter conditions in areas typically more prone to more wildfires, which has also resulted in more fine fuel growth at this time of year. “The combination of higher fine fuel growth due to early wet conditions and increased dry conditions late summer/fall can lead to very severe fires,” he says. Severity will depend on when the pattern switches over to La Niña, the timing of which remains uncertain for now.
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