UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Wildfires are becoming more frequent in the western United States as the climate warms. Rocky Mountain forests are experiencing more fires now than at any time in the last 2,000 years, according to Phil Higuera, professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana. Higuera will address the increase in fire activity during a talk titled "Fire, climate change and the resilience of Rocky Mountain forests" at 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 15. The talk, which is free and open to the public, will take place via Zoom.

Higuera’s talk is part of the fall 2021 EESI EarthTalks series, “Fire in the Earth System.” The series addresses humanity’s long relationship with fire, how humans and climate create conditions conducive to megafires, and how policy makers and land managers can address the fire problem. For more information about the fall 2021 series, visit the EarthTalks web page.

The fall 2021 EESI EarthTalks series is supported by Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.