紐時賞析／「以火制火」 降低野火風險 加州明年起將每年燒40萬英畝地

加州一名消防員2021年在阿爾圖拉斯使用滴油式點火器引燃規畫焚燒。（紐約時報）

Fighting Fire With Fire In California

以火制火：加州撲滅野火大作戰

In California, federal and state agencies, as well as other groups that work with them, including private citizens and businesses, are setting fires that burn the dry grasses, small trees and other vegetation that could otherwise fuel an intense wildfire. Research has shown that these burns reduce wildfire risk, potentially saving lives and property.

在加州，聯邦和州政府機構，以及其他和他們合作的團體，包括普通公民和企業，正在放火焚燒乾草、小樹和其他植被，否則它們可能引燃強烈的野火。研究已經顯示，這類焚燒行爲會降低野火風險，可望挽救生命財產。

Although the state is increasing its use of beneficial fire, as the method is called, officials and experts alike say it is far from enough to meet the threat posed by catastrophic wildfires.

雖然該州正加強使用這種被稱「益火」的方法，但官員和專家都說，這遠遠不足以應對災難性野火造成的威脅。

Land managers in the state, including the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and federal agencies have set a target of intentionally burning 400,000 acres annually by next year, an amount of land that when combined would be larger than the city of Los Angeles.

加州森林暨消防廳等該州土地管理人員及聯邦機構已立下目標，明年起每年故意焚燒40萬英畝土地，面積總和比洛杉磯市還大。

The goal is to chip away at the 10 million to 30 million acres that officials estimate would benefit from some form of fuel-reduction treatment.

這個目標是爲了逐步處理1000萬至3000萬英畝土地，官員們預計這些土地會受益於某種形式的減少燃料處理方法。

In 2022, the most recent year for which there is data publicly available, about 96,000 acres were burned by these land managers.

在2022年，也就是最新公開數據的年度，這些土地管理人員焚燒約96000英畝土地。

According to one study from researchers at Columbia University and Stanford University, low-intensity fires, a category that includes mild natural fires and prescribed burns, reduce wildfire risk by about 60%.

哥倫比亞大學和史丹福大學研究員的一項研究顯示，低強度火災，包括輕微自然火災和規畫焚燒，降低約60%野火風險。

Experts also say that prescribed burns have reduced the severity of previous wildfires, including in Yosemite National Park, where researchers found that they helped protect giant sequoias during the Washburn fire in 2022.

專家也表示，規畫焚燒已減少先前野火的嚴重程度，包括在優勝美地國家公園的野火。研究員發現，規畫焚燒在2022年華希本野火期間，有助保護優勝美地國家公園的紅杉。

The state’s budget maintains $2.6 billion in funding for tackling wildfires and improving forest health. An additional $200 million per year is designated for healthy forest and fire-prevention programs, which include prescribed fire projects.

該州預算提供26億美元資金，處理野火和改善森林健康。每年額外撥款2億美元，用於健康森林和火災防治專案，這包括規畫焚燒計劃。

The money is most likely not enough, especially because it is spread across a number of initiatives, said Mark Schwartz, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, who has studied controlled burns and other wildfire management methods.

戴維斯加州大學名譽教授施瓦茨研究控管焚燒和其他野火管理方法。他說，這些資金很可能不夠，特別是因爲資金被分散到數個新措施。

In addition to the need for more funds, Schwartz said, controlled burn programs face a number of other hurdles. Already limited in number, firefighters who would staff a prescribed fire are often called away to battle an active blaze.

施瓦茨說，除了需要更多資金，控管焚燒還面臨一些其他障礙。被派去執行規畫焚燒的消防員本就人力有限，又常被調去撲滅正在延燒的大火。

There are also only so many days in a year that conditions are right for a fire, and access is a challenge in some locations. And local communities may oppose a controlled burn, he said.

一年中適合進行焚燒的日子也只有那麼幾天，且進入某些地區會有挑戰。他說，當地社區還可能反對控管焚燒。

文／Kate Selig　譯／羅方妤