On March 30, 2019, China’s worst wildfire in three decades broke out in the mountainous region of southwestern Yunnan province, killing 30 people. In the wake of this tragedy, researchers have swiftly and urgently answered this call. They have invested time and resources into studying this historic calamity to identify the meteorological factors that led to this disaster. Findings published in the Chinese journal Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters expose this key connection. It’s a reminder that even the weakest lightning from these rapidly growing thunderstorms poses a threat of killing wildfires.
The research team sought to recreate the meteorological picture surrounding the lightning-caused fire event in as much detail as possible. As the corresponding author, Yong Xue—together with Zhengyang Qu, also corresponding author—motivated the project forward. To do as much, they merged near-surface meteorological data from around the region with cloud-top brightness temperature data from Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite. Their intent was to investigate the circumstances that led to the fire starting.
Understanding the Meteorological Background
To isolate the effects of the wildfire satellite, the researchers zoomed in on the specific atmospheric conditions during the wildfire. In their examination, they found that negative lightning was central to sparking the fire. In fact, negative lightning was responsible for an extraordinarily high percentage of fire ignitions in this case study. Overall, this finding underscores how critical it is to understand thunderstorm dynamics and the potential for thunderstorms to act as lightning igniters for wildfires.
Besides the March 30 lightning-ignited fire, this region had a second lightning-ignited fire in June 2019. The research analyzed both cases side-by-side to find patterns and similarities. Comparisons like this one are incredibly important for refining predictive models and increasing our readiness to face future outbreaks of wildfire.
To better understand the cloud-top brightness temperatures, the researchers used the most advanced satellite data available. This data provided a previously unavailable view of the strength and evolution of thunderstorms that helped start some of the new ignitions. Their ultimate goal was to begin to understand these meteorological factors. This type of understanding would be indispensable for fire management agencies and policymakers when making decisions to mitigate wildfire risks.
Implications for Future Wildfire Management
These findings from this study have important implications for wildfire management strategies. Recognizing that low lightning in developing thunderstorms can cause lethal wildfires requires a reassessment of where and how we currently monitor this dangerous phenomenon. By prioritizing areas closest to where predicted weather events will impact the most, decision-makers can focus available resources toward pre-emptive preventative and response strategies.
Moreover, the inclusion of satellite data into meteorological evaluations improves capacity to anticipate possible fire ignitions. This research indicates that fire management agencies should consider not only historical data but real-time satellite observations when assessing wildfire risks.
This research has particularly important implications for localities. It improves our knowledge about climate change in general and how it is changing the movement of storms and drought. As global temperatures continue to rise, we can expect more frequent and intense thunderstorms. This conversion can increase wildfire hazards in communities at risk.