Tag Archive for: Wildfire

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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California’s Wildfire Risk Stays High as Other Regions Cool Down

/in , , /by /Capitol Pressby Brad Carlson

The risk of large wildfires remains high in  California, the National Interagency Fire Center says. Fall is the windy season, and dry fuels remain in much of the state.

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California Could Do Better to Ease the Burdens of Wildfires If We Knew How Much They Actually Cost

/in , /by /KQED San Francsicoby Danielle Venton

Amid a record-breaking fire year, a new report out Thursday says the state lacks a grasp on the true costs of wildfires. The report is from the California Council on Science and Technology, an independent nonprofit organization established to offer state leaders objective advice from scientists and research institutions.

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After Wildfires, Mudslides Could Be California’s Next Deadly Disaster

/in , , /by /The Weather Channelby Jan Wesner Childs

After months of devastating wildfires and waiting desperately for the upcoming wet winter season to bring relief, some communities in California are now at high risk of potentially deadly mudslides.

The fires burned thousands of square miles of land and left scorched and barren hillsides vulnerable to an especially dangerous fast-moving type of landslide that scientists call “debris flow.” Known less formally as mudslides, these flows are typically triggered by short, intense storms and can send tides of soil, ash, vegetation, rocks and even cars and homes careening downhill, destroying everything in their path.

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Wildfire Threat Expected to Intensify Across California This Week

/in , /by /Times of San Diegoby Mimi Dwyer

Hot, dry conditions and intense winds across California are threatening to reinvigorate what has already been the worst fire season in state history, officials warned on Tuesday. Gusty winds in California’s north and extreme heat in its south are creating conditions that could fan wildfires that began earlier in the summer as well as spark new ones, leading state and federal authorities to urge residents to prepare.

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