As the climate changes, warmer temperatures in California dries out fuel and the risk of a big wild fire in California grows even greater than before. The devastating fires of the last few years—which led to property damage, destruction of land, and dozens of deaths—may only be the beginning.

A new study that consulted government records of a 50-year history of wild fire in California shows what we might expect as time goes on and the climate warms.

According to the study, led by researchers Park Williams and John Abatzoglou, the average area destroyed by California fires annually has increased by a factor of five since 1972. While this increase is significant, it is actually due in particular to the even greater increase of destruction in the forested areas of the state, and non-forested regions haven’t seen a particular increase.

The warmer climate can have a direct effect on how destructive these fires can be. More moisture is sucked out of the soil, and the vegetation that fuels the fire as well, which can lead to a much more rapid spread of fire.

As a result, the increase in area affected by summer forest wild fires in California has been exponential.

Weather can also be a contributing factor to the spread of fires. Rain that causes more vegetation growth, which then dries out, can lead to more fuel for the fire to burn and spread. For instance, the Los Angeles and Bay Area saw fall fires in 2017 and 2018, which were caused by late rains that led to extremely dry vegetation.

The downslope winds in the area that come in fall and winter (known as Diablos and Santa Anas in the north and south respectively) combined with the unusually dry vegetation contributed to the severity of those fires.

The study found that climate change has been and will continue to be a significant factor in the effects of wild fires in California.

“The effects of anthropogenic warming on California wildfire thus far have arisen from what may someday be viewed as a relatively small amount of warming,” they write. “According to climate models, anthropogenic warming since the late 1800s has increased the atmospheric vapor-pressure deficit by approximately 10 percent and this increase is projected to double by the 2060s.”

The researchers expect that the effect of climate change on wildfires is only going to get worse as time goes on. “Given the exponential response of California burned area to aridity, the influence of anthropogenic warming on wildfire activity over the next few decades will likely be larger than the observed influence thus far where fuel abundance is not limiting.”

Filing a California Fires Lawsuit

If you have been affected by a recent wild fire in California, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by wildfire injuries, property damage, and other issues, it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden caused by this damage.

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