In just one weekend, the McKinney Fire, fueled by strong winds and high temperatures, burned more than 55,000 acres in Northern California, becoming the state’s largest wildfire so far this year. The blaze is only the beginning of the West’s fire season, which traditionally peaks between mid-July and October. All fires need fuel and a spark. In the West, fuel is plenty, with flammable pine needles, shrubs and grasses that can ignite easily. And while the region’s dry vegetation has always made it prone to fires, climate change is intensifying wildfires and lengthening fire season.

Related articles: 

• SF Gate: Town of Klamath River nearly wiped out by McKinney Fire
• Capital Public Radio: Northern California wildfires - Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information
• Merced Sun-Star: McKinney Fire update - The wildfire is not contained, but bulldozer lines protect Yreka
• Record Searchlight: ‘Devastating’ – McKinney Fire destroys Klamath River community hub
• CNN: Two ultra-rare floods in a single week; a wildfire generating its own weather. Here’s how it’s connected
• Space.com: Watch California’s largest wildfire of the year spawn a massive ‘fire cloud’ visible from space
• USA Today – Video: California’s largest fire of 2022 out of control
• ABC 30 – Fresno: 2 injured in wildfire in Fresno County, officials say
• Los Angeles Times: Why forest managers need to team up with Indigenous fire practitioners