Drought conditions could worsen California wildfires that have already burned 5 times more land this year than same time last year
Wildfires have burned roughly 14,000 acres in California this year as a deepening drought grips the Southwest — more than five times the acreage charred by the same time last year. It’s a worrying trend that has fire officials taking a proactive approach — from more funding to wildfire prevention to hiring additional crews — after the state saw its worst fire season ever in 2020. Only five months into the year, a total of 2,340 fires have burned 14,340 acres, an increase of 1,284 fires and 11,793 acres over the same period in 2020, according to new data from Cal Fire.
Related articles:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Newsom calls for record spending to confront California’s looming wildfire season
- The Conversation: Western fires are burning higher in the mountains at unprecedented rates in a clear sign of climate change
- Wildfire Today: Drought has killed junipers in Arizona and blue oaks in the San Francisco Bay Area
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation news release: Reclamation announces support for wildfire restrictions issued for Arizona, Southern Nevada, and Southern California