Climate change and a 'triple whammy' of weather conditions are fueling the devastating wildfires in Southern California, making them potentially the costliest in U.S. history.
The deadly fires burning in Southern California collectively could become the most expensive wildfire disaster in U.S. history, one leading climate scientist said, underscoring the severe impact of climate change on the region. 'These fires will likely be the costliest in history, not the deadliest, and that is the only silver lining right now,' said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UCLA.
But why are the fires so big during winter? Swain said a 'triple whammy' of climate and weather effects are causing the fires to burgeon in size. In Southern California, the region's mountains are blanketed with nearly double the average amount of tall grasses and chaparral. That was followed by the hottest summer on record for parts of the region, which significantly dried out the abundant vegetation. In September, major heat waves further dried out fuels. Plus, parts of coastal Southern California have seen the driest and hottest start to winter on record. Swain said that much of the area has burned due to having 'the most thirsty atmosphere on record since October 1st.' These conditions created the perfect scenario for a wildfire to grow out of control and spread into populated areas. The fires became uncontrollable when Santa Ana winds — common for the winter but especially extreme this week — picked up. Winds across the foothills and valleys were, which leveled the town of Paradise near Chico in 2018 and was the deadliest fire in California history, killing 85 people. 'This is the same story of what happened in Paradise,' he said. 'That occurred in November in Northern California in a very wet part of the state that hadn't yet received seasonal precipitation.' Swain sees clear links between human-caused climate change — driving extreme dry fuel conditions and record warmth — and the fires raging in Southern California. A warming world means wetter wet periods, hotter temperatures, and more extreme droughts
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