The TLDR: Over the past year, the world witnessed a series of devastating wildfires across the globe—in California, Australia and the Amazon rainforest. Now, it’s California’s turn again! The state is setting new records—both in terms of high temperatures and land destroyed. And yes: this is just a glimpse of the future to come. 

Tell me about the wildfires

More than 2 million acres of land have been burned by wildfires as of Monday—breaking the previous record of 1.9 million set in 2018. The upside: only one person (a hiker) has died so far. But the reason this disaster is especially serious: This is not wildfire season. 

The state witnesses wildfires every year, but they usually kick in next month. As one fire captain explains: “This is crazy. We haven’t even got into the October and November fire season and we’ve broken the all-time record.”

How did this happen then?

The wildfires started around mid-August thanks to three unusual weather phenomena that came together to spark a natural disaster.

First, soaring temperatures: For months now, California has been experiencing unusually high temperatures. 

• Death Valley hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4°C) on August 16—the highest-ever recorded temperature on the planet (i.e. since 1931 when we started to record these things). 
• And the boiling heat shows no signs of receding. 
• Over the weekend, several parts of California broke new records. In Southern California—which is hotter and drier—Burbank and Palm Springs also hit all-time highs.
• But the northern part of the state was no better. The typically cooler San Francisco hit a record-breaking 100 degrees (37.7°C) on Sunday—in early September!

What this meant: There was plenty of ‘kindling’—i.e. vast expanses of dry vegetation ready to burst into flames.

Next, the storm: In the midst of blistering temperatures, an unexpected tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean triggered a blizzard of lightning strikes. California was struck by lightning more than 10,800 times over 72 hours. And this storm served as the ‘match’ to start the wildfires. See lightning strike over San Francisco below:

Finally, the winds: So we had kindling, a match… all that was required was some assistance to help spread the fire. And it arrived right after the storm when the humidity dropped—and winds picked up. Soon small fires turned into full-blown fire tornados. This happens when large wildfires rapidly heat the air, creating huge clouds. When accompanied by strong winds, these can start to rotate and produce a “30,000 feet smoky swirl” like below:

Soon fires began to spread and merge, creating wind gusts of their own. It’s all happening at the same time in both northern and southern California—which is unprecedented. And as of now, the worst of them remain uncontained. As one scientist explained: “These fires are doing such crazy things, they’re moving so fast, and they’re dangerous to approach. It’s no wonder fire crews are overwhelmed.”

Not helping at all: Californians who were out partying in full strength over a holiday weekend (Monday was Labour Day in the US). The beaches were filled to capacity, as were—more dangerously—campgrounds, which involve a variety of wildfire hazards including campfires and barbecues. 

And the inevitable happened: A gender reveal party on Saturday sparked a massive wildfire because the to-be parents used a “smoke-generating pyrotechnic device.” Then this happened:

“The family went into a field and fired off the device, which quickly ignited 4-foot (1.2 meter) grasses… Conditions were perfect for a fire to spread quickly - triple-digit temperatures, low humidity, dry vegetation and a stiff breeze.”

As per latest reports, the wildfire has spread across 8,600 acres and is only 7% contained.

So this is about climate change, right?

Yup. Climate change has triggered higher temperatures and for longer periods of time. All of which dries out vegetation for months on end. All you need is for someone or something to strike that match. A climatologist sums it up: “Fire, in some ways, is a very simple thing… As long as stuff is dry enough and there’s a spark, then that stuff will burn.” 

But there are also other key factors. One: humans who continue to spread into traditionally wildfire country: 

“People are always creating possible sparks, and as the dry season wears on and stuff is drying out more and more, the chance that a spark comes off a person at the wrong time just goes up.” 

And two: The lack of long-term forest management that help contain wildfires through controlled burns—mostly because those who manage the forests are too busy fighting wildfires, year after year.

So what about these wildfires?

As we mentioned before, traditional wildfire season is set to kick off in October—when the Santa Ana winds come gusting down into Southern California. Why that’s scary: “Fires that ignite in the fall and winter months grow at a rate three times faster than others and more closely encroach on heavily populated areas.”

Reading list

The Guardian has the best report on the immediate trigger for the wildfires. See New York Times for a list of underlying causes. Two must reads on the future of California: this UCLA study predicting extreme dry and wet weather, and a Mother Jones deep dive titled ‘The Biblical Flood That Will Drown California’. Finally, BBC News explains why summers may become too hot for humans.