In recent years, California’s climate has gotten hotter. Drier conditions mean less snowpack in the Sierras, less runoff in the spring, and less moisture for vegetation. These conditions have made it especially easy for massive wildland fires to ignite and quickly burn through parched vegetation.
These incredibly high winds are, in large part, the reason why California’s fires swell to such massive sizes. High winds are especially tricky because they can prevent air support, in the form of retardant-dumping planes and water-dropping helicopters, from flying.
The latest set of Californian wildfires have been caused by severe rising heat temperatures across the Western States. It has been coupled with drought conditions that have been compounded after the state experienced its driest 12 months on record.
“ It turns out increased humidity plays a role in why there are so many fires right now.” A decaying tropical storm earlier this month in the eastern Pacific Ocean sent a plume of moisture over California. Amid the scorching heat, the moisture formed clouds that generated immense amounts of wind, thunder, and lightning but very little rain.
Wildfire activity was light this week, with three large fires burning in California and one in Montana. Two large fires were contained in Texas. Stay informed of current and predicted environmental conditions such as weather and drying vegetation.
What areas in California are affected by wildfires?
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Rancho Palos Verdes holds a dubious honor: It’s the most populated city in California to have 90 percent or more of its population living within a “very high fire hazard severity zone.” But few residents seem to think their suburb is in the same league as Malibu, where hundreds of homes burned last fall just up the Los Angeles County coastline.
What states have fires?
Where Tehran-backed forces including Lebanon’s Hezbollah have deployed over the last decade to support President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s war. Live footage aired by the Syrian State TV showed flames and smoke in the containers area. “Fire fighters are.