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

加州一名消防员2021年在阿尔图拉斯使用滴油式点火器引燃规画焚烧。（纽约时报）

Fighting Fire With Fire In California

以火制火：加州扑灭野火大作战

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，联邦和州政府机构，以及其他和他们合作的团体，包括普通公民和企业，正在放火焚烧干草、小树和其他植被，否则它们可能引燃强烈的野火。研究已经显示，这类焚烧行为会降低野火风险，可望挽救生命财产。

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.

虽然该州正加强使用这种被称「益火」的方法，但官员和专家都说，这远远不足以应对灾难性野火造成的威胁。

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.

加州森林暨消防厅等该州土地管理人员及联邦机构已立下目标，明年起每年故意焚烧40万英亩土地，面积总和比洛杉矶市还大。

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.

这个目标是为了逐步处理1000万至3000万英亩土地，官员们预计这些土地会受益于某种形式的减少燃料处理方法。

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，也就是最新公开数据的年度，这些土地管理人员焚烧约96000英亩土地。

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%.

哥伦比亚大学和史丹福大学研究员的一项研究显示，低强度火灾，包括轻微自然火灾和规画焚烧，降低约60%野火风险。

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.

专家也表示，规画焚烧已减少先前野火的严重程度，包括在优胜美地国家公园的野火。研究员发现，规画焚烧在2022年华希本野火期间，有助保护优胜美地国家公园的红杉。

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.

该州预算提供26亿美元资金，处理野火和改善森林健康。每年额外拨款2亿美元，用于健康森林和火灾防治专案，这包括规画焚烧计划。

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.

戴维斯加州大学名誉教授施瓦茨研究控管焚烧和其他野火管理方法。他说，这些资金很可能不够，特别是因为资金被分散到数个新措施。

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.

施瓦茨说，除了需要更多资金，控管焚烧还面临一些其他障碍。被派去执行规画焚烧的消防员本就人力有限，又常被调去扑灭正在延烧的大火。

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.

一年中适合进行焚烧的日子也只有那么几天，且进入某些地区会有挑战。他说，当地社区还可能反对控管焚烧。

文／Kate Selig　译／罗方妤