Why California’s Wildfires Could Be Brutal This Summer

Weather|California’s Big Question: How Brutal Will the Summer Wildfire Season Be?

With Los Angeles still recovering from the devastating fires that killed at least 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes, California’s residents are being warned that the summer, typically the worst season for wildfires, could be especially brutal this year.

Every summer across the state, the atmosphere dries up and the temperatures turn warm, sucking moisture from the landscape and turning the parched vegetation into kindling, ready to burn under the right conditions. This year, forecasters are already seeing signs that the pattern could be more intense than usual.

The snow in the Sierra Nevada, the frozen reservoir that moistens the landscape through the spring, is nearly gone; it melted off earlier than normal. This year’s grass crop is plentiful, especially in Northern California, which received more rain than the southern part of the state, and it’s already fueling fires as it dries out. And forecasters predict the summer will be exceptionally hot.

All of this adds up to a higher probability of more large wildfires than usual this summer, with the possibility that even the smallest spark could explode into a significant wildfire if not stopped quickly.

“The thing with wildfires is it could be the hottest summer on record, but to have fires, you need ignitions,” said Dr. Dan McEvoy, a regional climatologist at the Western Regional Climate Center in Reno, Nev.

In addition to a tough weather forecast, firefighting efforts face a new challenge this year: cuts to the federal agencies that assist with firefighting, prevention and recovery, including the National Weather Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.