California Fire Season Is Getting Longer

The fire season in California (and the Western US) is getting worse. It’s longer and there are more fires. While there are a lot of reasons for this, including land use, tree disease, influence fire activity, climate change is playing a significant role. A study published in October (2017) found that rising temperatures accounted for nearly half of the increase in acres burned, as they helped to dry out forests and extend the length of the fire season.

Estimates on just how much longer the fire season lasts in California range from 50 to 100 days longer than just a few decades ago.

The picture below if form the fire currently burning in Paradise, CA. The chart below from USGS shows the increasing average temperature over the western US and the corresponding increase increase in the number of fires over roughly the last 40 years.