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Why California Should be Preparing for Floods, Even in the Midst of Drought

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Stuart Leavenworth

The explorer John Wesley Powell once poked fun at the professional rainmakers of his time, writing, “Years of drought and famine come and years of flood and famine come, and the climate is not changed with dance, libation or prayer.”

As we now know, humans can change the climate — one reason the current drought is so intense, sparking what could be a record wildfire season and depleting mighty reservoirs such as Mead and Oroville.

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California’s Drought and Wildfire Dangers Rising at Stunning Pace

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Faith Pinho and Alex Wigglesworth

California’s drought and wildfire conditions are accelerating at unprecedented rates, according to state officials, and residents should brace for a summer of widespread burning and mandatory water conservation measures in some regions.

As reservoir levels across the state continue to drop, and as parched vegetation poses an increasing threat of wildfire, officials in Sacramento and Southern California offered a bleak assessment of the state’s drying climate, saying it has already begun to affect people, plants and animals.

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Lack of Rain Could Produce Rare Spring Wildfire Season in Greater San Diego

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Gary Robbins

San Diego County is in the midst of the sixth driest rainy season on record, conditions that could lead to rare and sizable spring wildfires if things stay dry, the National Weather Service said on Tuesday.

San Diego International Airport has recorded only 4.36 inches of rain since the official water year began on Oct. 1. That’s more than 4 inches below normal. The airport averages 10.33 inches of rain from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

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Few Fire Insurance Options Left for San Diego County Farmers

/in , /by /KPBS San Diegoby Camille von Kaenel

Three wildfires have crept close to Nathan Rakov’s 30-acre chicken ranch in rural Alpine since he moved there in 2006. If his barn, coops and storage rooms burned down, he’d struggle to rebuild because he hasn’t found a complete and affordable insurance policy.

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California’s Rainfall is at Historic Lows. That Spells Trouble for Wildfires and Farms

/in , /by /The Guardian by Katharine Gammon

There’s a race on in California, and each day matters: the precipitation during winter that fuels the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada and fills groundwater supplies has been slow to start, and faltering at best. Northern California remains stuck in one of the worst two-year rainfall deficits seen since the 1849 Gold Rush, increasing the risk of water restrictions and potentially setting up dangerous wildfire conditions next summer.

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Lessons from San Diego’s Approach to Wildfires

/in , /by /Voice of San Diegoby Diana Leonard

San Diego has largely escaped the conflagrations seen in other parts of California over the last several years. Experts have started to wonder: Is San Diego just lucky? Or is it doing something right?

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Plastic Pipes are Polluting Drinking Water Systems After Wildfires – It’s a Risk in Urban Fires, Too

/in , /by /The Conversationby Andrew J. Whelton, Amisha Shah, Kristofer P. Isaacson

When wildfires swept through the hills near Santa Cruz, California, in 2020, they released toxic chemicals into the water supplies of at least two communities. One sample found benzene, a carcinogen, at 40 times the state’s drinking water standard.

Our testing has now confirmed a source of these chemicals, and it’s clear that wildfires aren’t the only blazes that put drinking water systems at risk.

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‘These Mountains Could Turn Into Jelly.’ Above Santa Cruz, Residents Fear Devastating Mudslides

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Susanne Rust

The fire that rampaged through the San Lorenzo Valley in August and September burned hotter and destroyed more acreage than anyone in these rugged, rural and breathtaking mountains can remember.

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Why Winter Wildfires May Get Worse

/in , /by /Scientific Americanby Chelsea Harvey

A late-season flurry of flames is sweeping Southern California, driven by high-speed winds surging down the mountains toward the coast. The Bond Fire, which ignited Thursday, has burned more than 7,000 acres and was 50% contained as of last night. Authorities warn that a combination of strong winds and warm, dry weather could increase the risk of more blazes this week.

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In California, Rethinking Who ‘Owns’ Wildfire

/in , /by /The Christian Science Monitorby Martin Kuz

A record-breaking season of fire across the West has shown the limits of the century-old strategy of suppression. Many agree the need now is for better land management – built around values of collaboration and shared responsibility.

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