Are more wildfires popping up along the East Coast now?

Wildfires are threatening the southeastern US this month, with fast-moving blazes ripping across the dry Carolinas and Georgia. The fires come on the heels of an active fall season, with firefighting efforts extending into late November in the Northeast. The later fires are an ominous omen of the warmer future to come, with wildfire seasons becoming longer and more severe. Are more wildfires popping up along the East Coast now? Researchers have said there are — but it’s complicated.

- Julia Musto, the Independent

The Carolina fires, which started last weekend, have been fueled by low relative humidity, dry conditions, and whipping winds. In North Carolina, the results of Hurricane Helene also contributed to the fires, with significant storm debris “especially vulnerable to wildfires due to increased fuel loading from downed timber,” according to researchers. The hurricane tore through the western part of the Tar Heel State, bringing flooding rain, knocking down trees, and resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people. While some area forests were left intact, others were decimated and millions of trees were lost, according to The Washington Post. Record-breaking rainfall from the storm has contributed to the growth of vegetation that is now drying out, the Union of Concerned Scientists noted. That's incredibly similar to how West Coast atmospheric river storms can lead to similar future hazards with new vegetation that can fuel future fires.