The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Capital Weather Gang

Wildfires are becoming more intense at night and lasting longer, study finds

Nighttime-fire intensity in the U.S. West has increased by 28 percent over the past two decades.

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Updated February 16, 2022 at 12:45 p.m. EST|Published February 16, 2022 at 11:23 a.m. EST
Flames from the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado history. (Bethany Baker/AP)

When the Cameron Peak Fire ignited in northern Colorado in August 2020, few could foresee its longevity. As it burned, summer turned into winter. Nearly a semester of school passed. By the time the fire was fully contained in December, it had become the state’s largest on record.

In recent decades, wildfires have become more intense and longer lasting amid rising temperatures linked to human-caused climate change. A key influence on their growing duration? Their increasing ability to survive the night, when temperatures typically dip and humidity rises.