California’s Wildfire Season Is Over

It’s May, though California is already getting a taste of what a wildfire season can look like, as uncontrolled fires pose a threat to infrastructure and some of the world’s most vulnerable trees.

The combination of strong winds and heat has contributed to three major wildfires in Southern California.

Chief among them is the Santa Rosa Island Fire, which broke out over the weekend in Channel Islands National Park after a stranded sailor used flames to call for help. The fire has destroyed about 16,600 acres—about one-third of the entire island. Although some buildings have been lost, the largest are the Torrey pine trees, which are among the rarest trees in the world.

Torrey pine trees are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The the group has warned that the forest on the island faces a “high risk of devastating fires.” As the Santa Rosa Island Fire burns through the forest, there is hope that the worst of the situation may not have happened.

“In the initial assessment, firefighters believe that the extent of the fire was limited and that the suspension remains in place,” Mike Theune, a federal fire marshal, wrote in an email. “When it is safe to do so, fire crews will be assigned to determine the situation and the long-term effects.”

Although small, the Sandy Fire has forced thousands of people to evacuate Simi Valley, located about 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Fire activity intensified Tuesday morning as strong winds fanned nearly 1,400 acres of flames.

The fire is only 5 percent contained, while the Santa Rosa Island Fire is completely contained. As homes and businesses are threatened, the Sandy Fire has received more aerial firepower to fight the blaze. The River Fire has also burned 3,535 acres in Kern County and is 15 percent contained.

At the start of the fire season, about 41,000 acres have burned across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But that’s more than five years of 23,380 acres burned to date and could serve as a reminder of what’s to come in the state and the West.

Record-breaking heat removed a little snow earlier this spring, leaving countries ready to burn. The latest snowpack measurements show California’s Sierra Nevada basins have just 9 percent of the snow this time of year, while many basins in other parts of the West are snowless, according to federal data.

Hot weather is a sign of climate change. A recent analysis and the non-profit Climate Central found that snowfall on April 1—the date needed to measure the ground—has decreased in the West by 18 percent since 1955.

All this means that although the early fire season is bad, the West has not seen anything.