Daniel Swain for South Dakota Search Light—Climate changing: Research shows times for ‘prescribed burns’ in the West shifting

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses the changing landscape of prescribed burns in a new South Dakota Search Light article, highlighting how the timing and frequency of these controlled fires are evolving. Swain emphasizes the increasing importance of deciding when and where to conduct prescribed burns, especially as the climate warms.

“One of the reasons why some of the northern tiers of the U.S. become more favorable for prescribed fire at times in winter is actually because it gets warmer,” Swain said. “You’re actually warming into this acceptable envelope from being on the low end. In the southern parts of the U.S., you’re just already at the upper end of the envelope, and you’re getting even warmer and drier.”