3Qs: What sparked the Tennessee wildfires?
Wildfires raged recently through the foothills of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, damaging more than 1,400 structures and killing 14 people. Last week, two juveniles were charged with aggravated arson in connection with them. Northeastern's Auroop Ganguly, an expert on climate extremes, notes that the "chain of causality" in such events is complex, with human activity significant but other factors, including climate change, also playing a role.
