Why California Wildfires Are Starting Earlier

Some say wild fires will soon have no season; they are clearly starting earlier and ending later. Fire only needs three ingredients to burn: fuel, heat and oxygen. Here are a few facts from a recent article in The Sacramento Bee. What is in place this year is a continuation of trends that began many years ago.

• Cal Fire has responded to over 2,600 fires so far this year, 260 more than last year at this time.
• Temperatures in California are 2 to 3 degrees hotter this year, and last year they were 3 degrees hotter than the previous year.
• There is a lot of unburned vegetation, known as "carryover fuel" that acts as kindling when fires start.