… 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.

Other fire season news:

• KQED (San Francisco): California faces rough fire season as US Forest Service work becomes more politicized
• Axios: Blog: Fire season is getting longer in California amid climate change
• The Hill: When wildfire season coincides with threats to federal emergency support
• The Guardian (London, U.K.): Trump to merge wildland firefighting forces, despite warning of chaos