Large and destructive fires have torn apart the state of California this year. These fires have begun well before the typical state’s most extreme fire weather conditions, and therefore, fear has been spread about the potential of these fires and what is to come. These dangerous fires have occurred due to weather extremes, which are becoming more prominent in this warming world, and are combining with volatile effects.
Most of the fires have been normal, but there are a number that have been quite devastating and abnormal. The Park Fire that ignited in July in Northern California became the fourth-largest in state history. It grew very fast and was so furious that it destroyed at least 700 structures and injured at least three firefighters.The Park Fire ravaged an area the size of San Diego. The Line Fire, another abnormal fire that is still ongoing, got very violent last week. In fact, it was so violent that it created its own weather. It burnt through 12 miles of land in a single day.
What’s most concerning is that these fires grew so rapidly without the notorious wind that usually fans them out. The infamous winds that ravage the Santa Ana and Diablo region begin in the desert and blow through huge amounts of land. These winds create dry, ignitable fuels, and they blow so intensely that they can cause a small spark to turn into a raging fire. Due to the new burst of growth in these desert areas, when summer comes and the plants dry out, it makes for suitable fire conditions; the fires are, therefore, able to grow without the winds.
Fall marks an infliction of fires in the Santa Ana and Diablo region. The winds will begin to pick up and continue throughout the fall. Firefighters are always concerned about what could happen in these regions when the fire season begins.
