I read with great concern, Claire Moses’ recent Salt Lake Tribune article, “Fires have burned 4.5 M acres shrouding North America in Smoke” (Aug. 8). This year’s fire activity is not just alarming, it is above average for the past decade, reflecting a long-term trend toward more extreme and longer fire seasons. The wildfire season in the western U.S. is two to three months longer in some parts of the country than a few decades ago, largely due to an overheating climate. Projections indicate that even a modest annual 1 degree increase in temperature could cause median burn areas to spike by over 300% each year. Once a fire erupts, warmer temperatures and drier conditions help spread fires, making them harder and more costly to put out.  The physical and economic consequences of longer and more intense wildfires are multifaceted. They strain federal and state budgets, threaten public health due to concentrated air pollutants, disrupt recreation, and drive up the cost of homeowner insurance for residents in high-risk areas.   Addressing the threat of catastrophic wildfires requires an immediate long-term plan. Federal legislation to modernize wildfire policies  introduced by Sens. Mitt Romney and Mark Kelly is one crucial step.  We need to ask members of Congress to support climate policies that reduce carbon emissions, put a price on carbon, and promote education and personal responsibility programs for behaviors that contribute to our changing climate.  We are all feeling and paying for the cost of warming temperatures. Make sure you vote and encourage all candidates to support climate policies.  Julie BowenPark CityThe post Literally burning up appeared first on Park Record.