![]() ![]() Many fire experts are pulling back from predictions. Bay Area fire season used to be late summer into fall, with a spate of hot temperatures and dry winds. The concept of a typical fire season based on predictable patterns is disappearing with the weather uncertainties of climate change. But last year’s heavy precipitation fueled robust plant growth, wild and landscaped, which translates to heavy fuels for fire. This heightened fire risk is abating with the easing of drought conditions. Our state’s recent drought, which ended this winter with days of extreme rainfall, contributed to years of intense fire danger, with dry and dying vegetation. But data can shed light on how these fires might behave and the damage they might cause.Ĭalifornia and the rest of the Western United States as well as much of the world are seeing an increase in serious wildfires, which many experts link to climate change. Blazes started by utility wires, campfires, BBQs, fireworks, cigarette butts thrown out a car window or arson, however, can’t be predicted. ![]() It’s well known, for example, that summer lightning storms over the Sierra Nevada start fires. Factors such as weather, season, humidity, wind speeds and directions, topography, vegetation, historical climate trends, land use and human activity all play into predicting fire risk. Credit: Pete Rosos How to live with the threat of wildfires?Īssessing wildland fire risk is an educated guess. The hazy is smoke as a result of multiple wildfires surrounding the Bay Area. A smokey silhouette of the Downtown Oakland skyline from the Berkeley Hills. ![]()
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