More than two hundred thousand people cannot return to their homes, dozens of people are dead. The fires in California have caused a lot of damage, they are considered to be the most so far. Within a few days tens of thousands of acres of Land, houses and cars charred. It’s not the first fires in this year. Already in the summer, the flames raged in the state.
again and again it hits California. There are basically three reasons, which are, together, a dangerous mix:
drought is the basis for the fire, plenty of Vegetation, a fertile breeding ground for the spread, and strong winds in the autumn in addition, as a fire accelerant.
Up to 12.7 inches less precipitation
First to drought : As in most Western States, it rains in California in the summer, the soils dry out. Then a lightning strike or a carelessly discarded cigarette butt is enough to have a fire. This dryness is explained – among other factors – the fires in the summer.
In the autumn, the situation calmed down in the rule, if in October the rain returns. Then floors, and dry trees and bushes to fill with water. This year, however, this was hardly the case.
“If it had rained in California approach normal amounts, could have been prevented the tragedy in Paradise, probably,” writes climate researcher Daniel Swain from the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California on Twitter. Alone in the place 6700 houses should be burned down.
If Northern California had received anywhere near the typical amount of autumn precipitation this year (around 4-5 in. of rain near #CampFire point of origin), explosive fire behavior & stunning tragedy in #Paradise would almost certainly not have occurred. (1/n) #CAfire #CAwx pic.twitter.com/2LBKjSVBMF
— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) 10. November 2018,
posted Swain a graphic that shows how little precipitation between 10. September and 8. November has fallen compared to the long-term average in California. In some regions in the North and North-West of the Avrupabet state there were, therefore, per square meter of up to 12.7 centimeters less than the average for the years 1981 to 2010.
It could be worse
Indeed, the autumn rains in California, with usually not much to the annual total precipitation, it was important to provide the Ecosystem with water to end the fire season, so Swain. This year the rains have been late. The amount of rain in the last 60 days spent at less
photo
as a 20 to 30 percent of the long-term average amount.
This could be the case more and more. Swain is in a “Nature”-study from the may of that extreme weather in California will increase in this century, there are more frequent floods and more frequent droughts. At the same time is to be expected that the average amount of precipitation in the autumn continues to fall. In many Parts of California this Trend is apparent in the long-term trend already, the researchers explained on Twitter.
But what about the low autumn precipitation? Is that part of a trend, too? Well, yes: we recently found that autumn is not only warming across all of California, but also drying in recent decades. (Paper here: https://t.co/C75pCOF43j) #CAwx (7/n) pic.twitter.com/IhBl8Uq7pV
— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) 10. November 2018,
Possibly, the development has already used Nine of the ten largest since 1932, in California, documented forest fires have taken place from the year 2000, reports the “New York Times”.
Vegetation, and winds as a fire accelerant
but It’s not just dryness, which leads to frequent and intense fires in California. Graphics on the whole of the USA show that it looks like in other States currently, is even worse. Especially in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, the authorities report extreme drought. However, this often anyway drier regions are covered thinner than California. Fire can’t spread as easily as in the California greener .
dryness in the United States, 31. October to 6. November, the darker the Red is, Add to that the great drought
winds , which make the autumn fire in California is particularly dangerous. This so-called Santa Ana winds bring dry air from the Great basin, located mainly in the state of Nevada, to southern California and contribute to dryness.
on The other, they are blown away by the embers of the already-existing fire and create a herd of new brand. From October to April, fires in California, spread by these winds, sometimes up to three Times faster than in the fire season from June to September, researchers reported in a study by 2015. The winds act as a fire accelerant and would often also closer to towns.