According to wildfire experts, California’s wildfire problem will only continue to grow in the coming years. Increased temperatures and drought appear to be major factors in the state’s trend towards lengthy and destructive wildfires.

Increased Temperatures May Be Raising California Wildfire Risk

Although California’s hot and dry climate has long been vulnerable to wildfires, according to a local ABC news affiliate, the state has experienced ten of its most catastrophic fires in the past decade, including seven of the state’s largest fires and five of its most fatal. The Camp Fire, which blazed across California in November 2018, resulted in the deaths of 86 people.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California’s fire season has increased exponentially over the past four decades. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, the fire season is more than 70 days longer than it was 40 years ago.

Fire factors, according to a National Geographic report, include rising temperatures, melting mountain snow, and increasingly dry conditions. Northern California summers have risen by approximately 2.5 degrees over the past five decades. Increased temperatures lead to faster snow melting and water evaporation, drying out the ground, trees, and vegetation. These dry conditions are vulnerable to stray electrical sparks or cigarettes, and a small fire may quickly become an enormous blaze.

Due to the increased heat and dry conditions, the amount of acreage burned each year by wildfires has increased by 800 percent in the past 50 years.

Moreover, increased population density in the state has led to an increase in the amount of damage sustained by wildfires. While a 1981 California wildfire in Napa County destroyed 65 buildings across 23,000 acres, a fire in the same county in 2017 resulted in the destruction of more than 780 buildings over 51,000 acres.

Around a fourth of California’s population, 11 million people, live in areas that are vulnerable to wildfires. Previous communities, including almost the entire town of Paradise, have been displaced due to these destructive wildfires.

While controlled burns and vegetation thinning are being utilized by foresters to reduce the number of dry trees and brush, the intense heat has created a buildup of dry vegetation. Without controlled burns to eliminate these dry trees and plants, and without utility companies doing clean up, especially near urban areas, they are at risk of sparking a wildfire.

Wildfires Cause Devastation for California Residents

Residents of California who have suffered the effects of wildfires may be able to receive insurance payouts for their property damage, but future insurance coverage may be harder to get. Hiring a qualified attorney to assist you in your California wildfire claim may make it more likely for you to receive all the compensation you are owed.

Residents who have experienced property damage or destruction, as well as damage to landscaping and natural vegetation, soil erosion, and damage to fencing or outbuildings may be able to collect compensation. Those who have experienced a loss of business income due to the fires may also qualify. If you have been affected by a California wildfire such as the Camp Fire, Hill Fire, Thomas Fire, or Woolsey Fire, legal help may be available.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.