Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Does the US lack good historical data on wildfires?
Thursday, July 23, 2020
By Allegra Taylor
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YES
The U.S. agency that publishes national statistics on wildfires says data from before 1983 can't be confirmed and shouldn't be compared to more recent numbers.
The figures show a decline in total acreage burned in recent decades compared to the first half of the 20th century. Individual wildfires have decreased in frequency since 1980, but the average area burned per wildfire has doubled since the 1990s. Nine of the ten largest wildfires recorded have occurred since 2000.
The Environmental Protection Agency has monitored wildfires for their "possible impact on climate change," noting many connections between wildfires and climate. The EPA website hasn't been updated past 2015.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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