Southwest Fire Science Consortium

Beyond drought: How wet and dry periods shape Southwest wildfires

Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 11am PT/2pm ET

Description: Wildfire activity in the Southwest is shaped by complex relationships between climate, vegetation, and weather that vary across landscapes and over time. While drought and extreme heat are well-known drivers of wildfire, wet periods can also increase future fire risk by promoting vegetation growth that later dries and becomes fuel. In this presentation, presenters from the CLIMAS team will share findings from recent research examining long-term trends in wildfire activity and how climate influences fire across forests, grasslands, and shrublands in Arizona and New Mexico. Highlights will include how wildfire activity has changed over recent decades and why these trends differ across the region’s diverse ecosystems. Using an interactive visualization tool, the presenters will explore historical wildfire events and the climate conditions that contributed to them and discuss how understanding and monitoring these changing relationships can help communities better anticipate wildfire hazards and improve preparedness. 

Highlights from this research may be found in the fact sheet ‘Changing Climate, Changing Fire’:https://climas.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2026-01/CLIMAS-Changing-Fire-factsheet.pdf

Speakers: Michael Crimmins, Extension Specialist Professor and Matthew Meko, Applied Climatologist, University of Arizona CLIMAS Team