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Paul Huttner

Climate Cast: The link between climate change and wildfires

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Records show that since 2000, California has had 13 of it's largest fires on record.

What's causing this uptick in wildfires?

MPR News' chief meteorologist Paul Huttner explained to All Things Considered host Tom Crann that a warming climate means a number of things:

• Warmer winters allow pests to kill trees, and dead trees are fuel for fires.

• Earlier springs extend fire seasons.

• Drought also kills trees.

Hotter summers create more extreme fire behavior and California just recorded their hottest summer on record.

To hear Huttner talk about this and the hydrologic cycle use the audio player above.