Weather & Science
‘All Bets Are Off’ as California’s Wildfire Season Enters Danger Zone
Heat wave and looming hot winds threaten to reverse what has been a relatively quiet period for fires.
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After a relatively calm start to the wildfire season, California is bracing for things to get much, much worse.
A blistering heat wave and deepening drought have left California tinder dry weeks before the arrival of seasonal hot winds that can quickly whip a spark into overwhelming flames. One utility has already said it may need to cut power to 50,000 Southern California homes and businesses to prevent fires. Such factors are converging to set up the state for a return of the massive blazes, choking smoke and fire deaths that have tormented the region in recent years.