Strong wind drives grassland fire in China


 Accounting for 41.7% of China’s total land area, grasslands are linked to the livelihoods of over 20 million people. Although grassfires cause severe damage in China every year, their spatiotemporal patterns and climate drivers are not well understood. In this study, we used grassland fire record forms from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and grassland fire spot data from the Wildfire Atlas of China to examine the spatiotemporal patterns and fire seasonality in China for the period 2008-2020. We found that most grassland fires occurred in Inner Mongolia in northern China, specifically in the Hulun Buir and Xilingol grasslands. We found distinct differences in fire seasonality in northern China, with a major fire season in April, versus southwestern China, where the major fire season occurs in February, March and April. April grassfires in northern China result from strong winds, typically from the west, and spring drought. A secondary fire season in northern China occurs in October and is also driven by strong winds. Fire season in southwestern China seems less shaped by climate like wind speed, precipitation and drought. This study provides support for decision-making in fire prevention and fire management in China.