Smokehouse Creek Fire commentary by Moody's RMS

On 26th February, the record breaking Smokehouse Creek wildfire broke out and is now affecting the northeastern Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma...

Moody’s RMS has been monitoring the situation and Firas Saleh, Director of Product Management-Climate has provided the below comment:

“The ongoing Smokehouse Creek Wildfire underscores the importance of detailed modeling to inform utilities and communities, empowering them to fortify defenses and enhance overall resilience against escalating wildfire challenges. Moody's climate change risk models identify Texas as one of the states with the highest projected increase in wildfire impacts under both moderate and extreme climate change pathways, due to the increasing frequency and duration of dry spells. In high-risk wildfire communities across the United States, enhancing structural resistance and creating more defensible space have been shown to reduce the risk of wildfires by up to 40%, reaching up to 75% with vegetation modifications under present day conditions.”