![]() ![]() One of the most famous examples is the El Dorado Fire in 2020, where a forest fire that eventually burned down 13,715 acres of land began due to a malfunctioning smoke-generating pyrotechnical device at a gender reveal party. Ultimately however, 85-90% of wildfires are caused by human activities and negligence, providing the heat source it needed to ignite. Other studies have also shown periodic variations caused by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence the climate and rainfall over California, making the state primed for wildfires. As these winds blow from the desert regions of Nevada down to sea level, they warm – nearly as much as 20C – by compressional heating and lose much of its humidity, triggering and spreading wildfires. Diablo winds, a dry current that flows from the east or northeast and down into the San Francisco Bay area, is often linked as a contributing factor that helps prolong the fire season.ĭuring spring and fall seasons, Diablo winds reach the San Francisco Bay Area and down the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range into the Great Central Valley from the northern coast ranges. Regional winds and currents play a significant role too. However, dry vegetation is not the sole reason behind California wildfires. About 65% of California’s vegetation was drier in the first half of June 2021 than it did during the same period a year ago, creating the perfect condition for wildfires to thrive. The smallest decline in vegetation dryness can increase wildfire hazard significantly. During these conditions, dry vegetation becomes the perfect fuel for wildfires and when lightning strikes, it ignites a fire that can spread rapidly with the aid of strong winds and elevated temperatures. Natural wildfires, which are classified as natural disasters by the Environmental Protection Agency, can start during low precipitation, dry weather and droughts. This could take the form of lightning strikes or human sources such as campfires or cigarettes. Heat sources : to ignite and burn the fuel.Fuel : Any flammable material surrounding a fire, which can come in the form of live or dead trees, dry vegetation and other organic matter.Wildfires can occur naturally and as a result of human activity, but three elements must be present for a wildfire to start: JOIN THE MOVEMENT TODAY What Causes California Wildfires At least a third of some of the worst wildfires in US history occurred in California. But what causes California so susceptible to wildfires in the first place and what is causing the exacerbation of it? By the end of the year, the state recorded up to nearly 10,000 blazes that burned down over 4 million acres of land, accounting for more than 4% of the state’s total land area.Ĭalifornia is known for its wildfire seasons, which usually take place between late summer and early autumn, but they’re getting increasingly more intense, destructive and longer in the past two decades. In 2020, the US state of California experienced its worst wildfire season on record, in which the Bay Area fire became one of the largest wildfires in American history. The latest major event in the state was a massive wildfire that broke out in Yosemite National Park, home to some of the longest-living and tallest sequoia trees in the world. ![]() Rising temperatures, drought conditions, and dry vegetation are all contributing causes of wildfires in California, but the worsening impact of climate change is further exacerbating and prolonging the fire season in the state. Earth.Org is powered by over 150 contributing writers ![]()
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