For some regions in the United States, summer is wildfire season.
Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists and journalists dedicated to researching climate change, put together an interactive map that shows, in real time, all the wildfires in the 48 contiguous states and Alaska.
You can also view the real-time map here.
As you can see, Alaska and many of the Western states look literally engulfed in fires. This is a consequence of rising global temperatures, which up the risk of such blazes.
For example, in the past 60 years, Alaska has warmed up more than twice as fast as the rest of the country, with average temperatures increasing by nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit, according to another Climate Central report, released in June. At the same time, the frequency of "large wildfires" -- defined as covering more than 1,000 acres -- has risen in Alaska from roughly 20 fires per year in the 1950s to over 40 wildfires per year in modern days.
In the Western U.S., the average annual temperature has risen 1.9 degrees since the 1970s. As a consequence, the number of wildfires covering more than 1,000 acres has jumped from about 140 blazes per year in the 1980s to an average of 250 fires per year in the 2000s, according to data from the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy organization.
On the Climate Central map above, you can hover over a given fire and zoom in to see the name of the blaze, as well as the outline of the fire perimeter of the area that's burning. If you click within the perimeter, you can find additional details about the wildfire, including the the size in acres and how much the fire has grown or shrunk over the past 24 hours.
The map is updated daily and imports data from the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC), an Internet-based application that allows anyone to access online maps of current fire locations in the United States.
And remember: If you see a fire in your area, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency advices to evacuate the area immediately and call 9-1-1.
