Summer in California kicked off this week with an explosion of wildfire activity across the state that strained firefighting resources, forced people to evacuate and left many homes, businesses and dry hillsides scorched.
Hazardous weather conditions The final days of spring before Thursday — strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures — fanned flames from Los Angeles County to Colusa County, north of Sacramento, sparking more than 30 wildfires, including the state’s two largest blazes this year, each surpassing 15,000 acres in a matter of hours. According to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Initial surge in wildfires New concerns are arising about what will happen in the rest of 2024, especially with the hottest months still to come Another Heat Dome Forecast Heading to interior California this weekend.
“Dangerous heat conditions will persist, and temperatures are expected to reach 100 to 105 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. extreme heat warning The storm hit over the weekend for most inland communities between Santa Barbara and San Diego counties in Southern California.
The weather service estimates it could reach 15 degrees. 107 degrees north in the Sacramento Valley, 95 in San Jose And 105 degrees or higher in Bakersfield In the next few days, heat advisory issued for much of the state. Triple-digit heat, strong winds and the possibility of thunderstorms in Southern California have once again created the risk of fast-spreading fires.
“There is a risk of heat-related illnesses, and the risk of grass fires is increased. Report any wildfires to authorities and avoid creating sparks,” The Oxnard office of the National Weather Service said On Thursday X.
“It’s very concerning,” Cal Fire spokesman Isaac Sanchez said of the late spring fires, though he added it wasn’t entirely surprising. “We know how quickly things can change. … We are concerned — we’re always concerned, though.”
As of Wednesday, the last full day of spring, wildfires in California had burned nearly 90,000 acres, compared with just 5,863 acres by the same time last year, according to Cal Fire data. Nearly half of this year’s total burned in the past week. The average number of acres burned in California during the same time period over the past five years is slightly less than 17,000 acres.
“It’s concerning to see that we’re well above the (five-year) average in acres,” Sanchez said. “That tells us the fuel is ready to be used.”
Although there have been 2,237 fire incidents so far this year, which is less than the average of 2,689 in the last five years, officials say that due to weather conditions the fires can spread rapidly.
“The type of fires we’re seeing are grass fires, and they’re actually wind-driven grass fires,” Sanchez said, noting that burn scars from the recent fires were long and narrow — a sign of fire growth due to windy weather.
The two largest fires in the state so far, which started last weekend, were spreading southward thanks to northern winds. The Post fire, burning primarily near Gorman in Los Angeles County, grew to 15,690 acres by Tuesday and remained at that size throughout the day. Friday morning, Fire officials said at the time the blaze was 61% contained.
The Sites Fire southeast of Stonyford in Colusa County has grown to 19,195 acres. The fire was 25% contained as of Friday morning, according to Cal Fire officials.
Crews at both locations were preparing for a hot weekend ahead on Friday because of the upcoming heat dome, though weather officials say this time around, there won’t be the strong winds that caused recent fire conditions.
“It was definitely an active late spring,” said Chad Hanson, a research ecologist focused on fire ecology and director of the The John Muir Project, which works to protect federal forests. “It’s largely a reflection of the fact that we had some very warm, dry windy days at the end of spring.”
In a non-drought year — such as this one — there are many factors that can influence how and when wildfires start and spread, including how dry grass, plants and trees are and what kind of weather is occurring, Hanson said. Human-caused climate change is also a factor that can increase the incidence of fires. higher global temperatures He said the challenges of extinguishing fires are increasing due to excessive rainfall or lack thereof.
“Over the last two decades, we’ve definitely seen a pattern of increasing fire activity and we’re also seeing higher temperatures because of climate change,” Hanson said. “These two things are interconnected.”
The fact that this year follows two less active wildfire years — and two wet winters — is also a concern, as much of the area is covered in layers of new vegetation that catches fire easily when it dries out.
“There’s a huge amount of fuel; there’s a huge crop of grass,” Sanchez said, adding that wildfires are now a year-round problem in California and the threat is across the state. “Right now, it’s everywhere.”
Experts are predicting that Active in the second half of the year In late summer and early fall, plants that were once green and healthy will turn brown and die back during the long, hot days of summer.
Fortunately, not all wildfires are inherently bad, Hanson said.
“It’s not just a tragedy when a wildfire occurs. … There are many plant and animal species that have evolved to depend on post-fire habitats,” he said. “The tragedy is when it affects human communities — the good news is that it’s almost entirely preventable.”
Hanson called for a wildfire management strategy that focuses primarily on protecting human lives and development, rather than suppressing forest fires, and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, which worsen climate change.
Sanchez, the Cal Fire spokesman, said community members can also do their part to reduce wildfire risk by maintaining their vehicles and equipment, removing dry vegetation and closely monitoring campfires or grills. The agency says about 95% of wildfires in the state are prevented by fires. are caused by humans.
“The public needs to play an active role in preventing fires,” Sanchez said, adding that Californians can learn more about making evacuation plans and preparing their homes and property for wildfires. ReadyForWildfire.org.
