John Abraham, a professor in the College of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with KARE 11 about the extreme weather conditions fueling wildfires in northern Minnesota. Abraham explained how rising temperatures and prolonged dry conditions linked to climate change are contributing to larger, longer-lasting fires and discussed why communities must adapt to a changing climate.
From the story:
“I don’t think I need to tell you all that this is unprecedented,” Jason Loomis, Incident Commander for the National Incident Management Organization, Team Three, said. “That’s the kind of stuff we see in Arizona, in dry, arid climates, not up here in upstate Minnesota.”
That’s a sentiment shared by the University of St. Thomas’ Dr. John Abraham.
“This isn’t just a 2026 thing,” he said. “It’s becoming a much more regular occurrence.”
Abraham is an engineering professor at St. Thomas and an expert on climate change.
“There’s a scientific term I like to use,” he said, talking about Minnesota’s weather. “It’s called bonkers.”
“It’s really a combination of two ingredients: lightning to start the fire, and the heat and dryness to really make it grow.”
Air quality has improved after smokey haze covered much of the state last week.
But according to fire officials, fires could burn until it begins to snow.
