The welcomed slowing of a wildfire's destruction that comes with the cool and humidity of nightfall shrinks and even disappears during drought conditions, according to a University of Alberta researcher whose new study challenges conventional fire management practices.
"I think it is important to bring this emerging phenomenon to the public to let them know that the night might not save us," says Kaiwei Luo, a PhD student in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.
Conventional understanding of the "active day, quiet night" fire cycle is that lower temperatures and higher humidity at night naturally slow the progression and intensity of wildfires.
But in recent years, studies and first-hand accounts have shown that an unknown environmental change is enabling wildfires to surpass this natural barrier and burn more powerfully at night.
