California’s wildfire season is already hyperactive

It’s May, however California is already getting a taste of what peak fire season could look like, as out-of-control fires pose a threat to infrastructure and some of the most vulnerable trees on the planet.

A combination of high winds and heat contributed to three major wildfires in Southern California.

The largest is the Santa Rosa Island Fire, which started over the weekend in Channel Islands National Park after a stranded sailor used flares to signal for help. The fire burned nearly 16,600 acres, nearly a third of the entire island. Although some structures are lost, the largest is a grove of torii pine trees, which are among the rarest trees in the world.

Torrey pine trees are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. the The group warned The orchard on the island faces “significant potential risks from devastating fires.” As the Santa Rosa Island Orchard Fire burned, there was hope that the worst-case scenario had not happened.

“Based on initial assessments, fire crews noted that the severity of the fire was low and that the platform remained intact,” Mike Theon, a federally appointed fire information officer, wrote in an email. “When it is safe to do so, a fire effects crew will be appointed to fully determine the condition and any long-term impacts.”

Although Sandy’s fire is smaller, it forced thousands to evacuate in and around Simi Valley, located about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Fire activity increased Tuesday morning, as strong winds swept the flames across nearly 1,400 acres.

The fire was only 5% contained, while the Santa Rosa Island fire was not contained at all. With homes and businesses threatened, Sandy Fire received more air resources to suppress the flames. The River Fire also burned 3,535 acres in Kern County and is 15 percent contained.

In the early stages of the fire season, nearly 41,000 acres burned across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But that’s well above the five-year average of 23,380 acres burned by this date and could be a harbinger of what’s to come in the state and across the West.

Standard temperature The already meager mass of snow obliterated it this spring, leaving states ripe for combustion. The latest snow measurements show that California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range is harboring just 9% of its usual snowpack for this time of year, while many basins in other parts of the West have no measurable snow at all, according to federal data.

Of course, warmer weather is a hallmark of climate change. A Final analysis The nonprofit Climate Central found that snowpack on April 1 — a key date for measuring what is on the ground — has declined across the West by 18 percent since 1955.

All of this means that while the early season fires are bad, the West hasn’t seen any yet.