… In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, researchers said hotter, drier conditions over the last three decades had gradually elevated the state’s fire risk. Between 1992 and 2020, global warming made the fire season earlier by about a week in some regions and by more than two months in others. … Climate change is responsible for a range of factors that set the stage for earlier wildfire seasons, the study found. Higher temperatures and an earlier melt-off of California’s snowpack allows vegetation to dry up earlier, adding fuel to rapidly spreading blazes. Meanwhile, drought conditions mean dryer soil and less of the cool-season precipitation that historically help tamp down winter wildfires. 

Related articles:

• The New York Times: California wildfire season starting earlier because of climate change, study finds
• The Conversation: Blog: Wildfire season is starting weeks earlier in California – a new study shows how climate change is driving the expansion
• Eos: Blog: California’s getting an earlier start to wildfire season