What causes wildfires in California?

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Europe

02:25

The latest deadly fires in California have burned over 100,000 acres of land, making them the most destructive in the state's history. There are multiple factors that make these wildfires so catastrophic.

Are the fires linked to climate change or are they just a natural phenomenon?

Let's begin with the changing climate. The long, dry season in California is perfect for kindling massive fires. But environmentalists say climate change has worsened the situation. All but five of the 20 largest wildfires in the state since 1932 have occurred since 2000. Experts believe that rising temperatures since the 1970s have accentuated the crisis.

A resident, Elizabeth Gorman, who has been displaced as a result of the latest fires, said, “Every house on the street is just gone. Down to nothing. It's horrible.”

A 2015 study suggests that California broadly has two fire seasons: one from June to September driven by warmer and drier weather; and another from October to April that is accentuated by what's known as the Santa Ana winds.

A burnt car and a gas station remain visible after the "Camp" fire tore through the region near Pulga, east of Paradise, California, November 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

The winds have been three times stronger than normal and this season are burning closer to urban areas.

Fires occurring from October to April have been responsible for 80 percent of the economic losses since 1990. Every fall, Santa Ana winds bring dry air from the Great Basin area of the west into Southern California.

The next ingredient is human activity. California's population is nearing 40 million, adding more than 300,000 people a year. The residents are moving into scenic but dangerous forest areas which are prone to fires. The conditions are right for wildfires and in many cases. Humans play their part in igniting them.

For example, in July this year, the Carr Fire that burned over 200,000 acres, started when a truck tire blew out and its rim scraped the pavement, sending out sparks.

So, what happens next? There are no quick fixes to the recurring problem.

California Governor Jerry Brown said, "This is not the new normal, this is the new abnormal. And this new abnormal will continue certainly in the next 10 to 15 to 20 years.”

The onus, experts say, is on federal as well as local governments to address the issue of housing developments in and around forest areas and enforce strict regulations on materials used to build homes. Until that happens, the fires rage on.