The amount of land burned across California in the summer is roughly eight times higher than in the s, according to National Geographic.
And the state's fire season has gotten considerably longer, too, extending up to 75 days, in some cases. That brings us to winds. This past weekend, reports of a troubling weather phenomenon flooded in from Lassen County: a number of fire tornadoes had sprung up from the flames of the Loyalton Fire. This was intense and scary!!!! High winds are especially tricky because they can prevent air support, in the form of retardant-dumping planes and water-dropping helicopters, from flying.
Gusts can pick up embers and carry them to other locations, sparking new blazes for firefighters to contend with. In , a study published in the journal Environmental Letters suggested there are two separate fire seasons in Southern California. One, from June to September, is driven by warm, dry winds, sparking inland fires. The other fire season lasts from October through April and is driven by the famed Santa Ana winds, which blow west from the Great Basin and Mojave desert, sweeping over the Transverse Mountain Range and down into the valley.
These are the winds to worry about. The New York Times reported at the time that fires that ignite in the fall and winter months grow at a rate three times faster than others and more closely encroach on heavily populated areas. While southern California is known for the Santa Ana Winds, Northern California has its own fierce wind conditions to contend with. The region is bombarded by similar gusts called the Diablo winds, which swing in from east, down the Sierras and funnel toward the coast. This is the first part of a story about fires in California.
Read part 2 here. Photograph courtesy of InciWeb. Story by Adam Voiland. View this area in EO Explorer. Heat waves and droughts supercharged by climate change, a century of fire suppression, and fast-growing populations have made large, destructive fires more likely.
Whether sparked by lightning, intentional land-clearing, or human-caused accidents, wildfires are burning longer and more often in some northern latitudes as the world warms. Following a notable increase in fire activity in August and a gradual rise in deforestation, scientists have been watching for signs of how might shape up. Several worrisome signs have emerged.
West, projections show that an average annual 1 degree C temperature increase would increase the median burned area per year as much as percent in some types of forests. In the Southeastern United States modeling suggests increased fire risk and a longer fire season, with at least a 30 percent increase from in the area burned by lightning-ignited wildfire by Once a fire starts—more than 80 percent of U.
Warmer, drier conditions also contribute to the spread of the mountain pine beetle and other insects that can weaken or kill trees, building up the fuels in a forest.
Land use and forest management also affect wildfire risk. Changes in climate add to these factors and are expected to continue to increase the area affected by wildfires in the United States. This graphic from the Fourth National Climate Assessmen t shows the growth in large wildfires throughout the West. The black lines are fitted trend lines. Dennison et al. The wildfire season was well above average, with deadly fires in California and throughout the West, including Montana, Oregon, and Washington state.
The wildfire season went on to also break records as the deadliest and most destructive season on record in California. In , five of the six largest fires on record burned in California and Oregon saw historic levels of wildfire spread and damage. Wildfires across the West led to weeks-long periods of unhealthy air quality levels for millions of people. The Caldor fire burned about , acres, destroyed 1, structures and damaged About 8, fires in California have burned about 2.
About In August a series of lightning strikes started hundreds of fires across Northern California. Another fire, the SCU Lightning Complex Fire, located in five counties in northern California near San Francisco, is the third largest fire on record in the state, burning almost , acres.
On September 28 a state of emergency was declared in California in response to the wildfires that burned through Napa, Sonoma and Shasta Counties, where tens of thousands were forced to evacuate. State authorities ordered 70, residents of Sonoma and Napa Counties to evacuate, including the entire city of Calistoga in Napa Valley.
The Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties has burned almost , acres into November, destroying structures. About 4. In late October significant fires broke out throughout California, leading to the evacuation of more than , people and the declaration of a state of emergency. The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County ignited on October 23, and burned about 78, acres—an area more than twice the size of the city of San Francisco.
According to CalFire , buildings were destroyed, and 60 more were damaged. The Getty Fire in Los Angeles broke out on October 28, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, with wind gusts up to 80 miles an hour and burned acres. In Ventura County, the Maria Fire began on October 1 and burned 10, acres and destroyed four structures.
The Ranch Fire, ignited November 3, burned 2, acres. About 8. The Mendocino Complex Fire broke out on July 27 in Northern California and grew to be the largest fire state history to date, with , acres burned. Eight fatalities are attributed to the fire, and 1, structures were destroyed.
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