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Wildfires are the Old Normal for the Pacific Northwest
My podcast today will both provide the weekend weather forecast and talk about the history of wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. Wildfires and associated smoke are a major concern in the region, and some media, politicians, and others have suggested that wildfires and wildfire smoke are not normal and are a potent sign of a changing climate. They are not correct. Wildfires and their smoke are a natural part of the Northwest ecosystem. What was not normal was the period of suppressed fire during the later portion of the 20th century. A good illustration is the visit of Mark Twain in August 1895, a summer in which the U.S. Weather Bureau noted "the sun was almost entirely obscured by excessive smoke from wildfires." Twain was invited to speak in Olympia, where the chairman of the reception committee apologized for "smoke so dense that you cannot see our mountains and our forests, which are now on fire". Twain retorted “As for the smoke, I do not so much mind, I...
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