How melting Arctic ice could be fueling extreme wildfires in the Western U.S.

By Lauren Sommer

Published April 20, 2023 at 5:12 AM EDT

Above the Arctic Circle, the community in Kotzebue, Alaska, is watching sea ice disappear as the climate gets hotter. In the Western U.S., firefighters are battling increasingly explosive wildfires driven by hot, dry weather.

Scientists are finding these two extremes could be connected, a sign of how melting ice is causing ripple effects across the planet. You can see images and video from Alaska and California in our visual interactive.

This story is part of the NPR Climate Desk series Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice.

This audio story was edited by Neela Banerjee and Sadie Babits. It was produced by Ryan Kellman.

Lauren Sommer

Lauren Sommer covers climate change for NPR's Science Desk, from the scientists on the front lines of documenting the warming climate to the way those changes are reshaping communities and ecosystems around the world.

See stories by Lauren Sommer

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities.
Visit ctpublic.org/latinos/we-are-connecticut for more stories and resources.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca dar a conocer historias latinas y elevar nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Para más información sobre nuestro esfuerzo por conectar con las comunidades latinas, visita  ctpublic.org/latinos/somos-ct