A Drought Is One Thing, Wildfire Is Another
Droughts can elevate the risk of wildfires, something California is unfortunately very accustomed to. Last year was the state’s worst wildfire season recorded in modern history. More than 4.2 million acres, or more than 4% of the state’s roughly 100 million acres, had burned by year’s end, according to Cal Fire. The state saw its first fire to burn more than 1 million acres in modern history as well as a host of other large, damaging blazes. There’s even signs that fires from last year overwintered and are still smoldering.
As of May 5, the state had already seen a significant increase in the number of wildfires and acres burned compared to the same time last year, Cal Fire said. In May of 2020, the state had registered 1,065 fires and 1,726 acres burned. This year, there have already been 1,788 fires and 13,604 acres burned.
