The first thing you should know, is that wildfires require
three key ingredients: fuel to burn, the right conditions,
and a source of ignition.
But what does that actually mean?
So fuel, like needles, leaves, or wood
on the forest floor, is rarely a fire’s limiting factor.
And the conditions that are favorable for fire - like hot, dry and windy days,
are becoming more and more common, as our climate changes.
Under these “fire weather” conditions, fuels dry out become more susceptible to burn.
As for source of ignition, well, most of the wildfires
that NASA detects from space are started by people.
Others, usually the Arctic and boreal regions, are ignited by lightning strikes.
NASA can track these conditions and inform land managers
when an area appears prone to wildfire.