Smokey Bear's Best Friend: fire.airnow.gov

Peter Zeihan 6 min

Smoke forecasts depend on moisture conditions in the Rockies, drying swamps in Canada, and atmospheric river patterns. The speaker advises using fire.airnow.gov to plan trips while avoiding dry areas in Colorado and Canada.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Smoke Forecast Tool

    The speaker introduces a tool to track smoke plumes and danger levels across the US.

  2. 0:57

    Moisture Conditions in the Rockies

    Low moisture in the western Rockies creates arid conditions that lead to forest fires.

  3. 2:44

    Canadian Muskeg Fires

    Drying swamps in northern Canada create dangerous peat fires that burn uncontrollably.

  4. 4:13

    Pineapple Express Impact

    Atmospheric rivers either bring heavy rain or suck moisture away, causing extreme fire risks.

Key points

  • 0:00

    Air quality sensors map smoke plumes to show danger levels based on particulate matter.

  • 0:57

    Low air density in high elevations reduces moisture capacity, creating arid fire conditions.

  • 0:57

    Western Rockies started the season dry, leading to fires covering 200,000 acres in Colorado.

  • 0:57

    Mountainous terrain sometimes contains fires, but rugged areas make them difficult to fight until winter.

  • 2:44

    Northern Canada contains vast unpopulated swamps that turn into dangerous peat fires when dry.

  • 2:44

    Low rainfall in Canada causes swamps to dry out, allowing surface peat fires to burn endlessly.

  • 2:44

    Canadian fires are more dangerous than Rockies fires because flat terrain allows them to burn without containment.

  • 2:44

    Mitigation is impossible in northern Canada because the area consists of great untouched barrens.

  • 4:13

    Atmospheric rivers act like fire hoses, either spraying massive rain or sucking moisture away completely.

  • 4:13

    When atmospheric rivers miss a region, they create compression effects that increase air density and temperatures.

  • 4:13

    This year is a hose year for the Pacific Northwest, resulting in minimal fire risk compared to previous years.

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