Dozens of other fires broke out in Georgia and western North Carolina, which were both hard-hit by Hurricane Helene. In some areas, the fallen trees can act as fuel and promote fire spread in the short and long term, according to Virginia Iglesias, who studies the effects of climate variability on social-environmental systems at University of Colorado Boulder.
“After the hurricane, there were lots of dead trees felled on the ground, and that allows for sunlight to reach the ground,” Iglesias said. “And with that, it’s easier for biomass to desiccate, promoting fire if there’s an ignition. That’s in the short term. Another consequence of these fires is that they represent an access issue for firefighters. So there are lots of logs blocking roads.”
This happened last week in North Carolina’s Polk County, where firefighters struggled to navigate between fallen trees and…
