December Wildfires Could Signal Shifting Fire Season

A lack of rain and seasonal Santa Ana winds are creating dangerously dry conditions in Southern California, where the Franklin Fire has burned over 4,000 acres just this last week.

In an article for High Country News, Kylie Mohr explains that the combination of dry vegetation and strong winds is fueling stronger wildfires in California and elsewhere. According to climatology professor John Abatzoglou, “We are still waiting for the onset of the wet season in that part of the state, which would meaningfully wet the fuels and put the threat of large fires to bed.”

“The winds will die down and rain will eventually return to Southern California, but this one-two punch of high wind and parched landscapes will recur and intensify in the future. Climate change projections suggest Southern California’s wet season will narrow, and its rainy season arrive later.” A delayed rainy season — a pattern showing up over the last six decades — signals increased risk in years to come.