'East winds' are fueling wildfire havoc in Oregon. But why and how?

Explore Oregon: Making the most of the outdoors

In this episode, Zach talks to wildfire meteorologist Eric Wise about a weather pattern known simply as "east winds," which fueled the 2020 Labor Day Fires and last weekend's widespread power shutdowns and wildfires that brought evacuations to Salem, Estacada and Oakridge. Wise explains where the east winds come from, why they make Oregon wildfires so explosive and whether climate change is making them more powerful or frequent. In other words, are scary east wind events a "new normal?" The second half of the podcast features Zach making an appearance on Oregon Public Broadcasting show Think Out Loud. The show's host, Dave Miller, interviews Zach about a recent story about the slow pace of final investigation reports about the causes of the 2020 Labor Day Fires.