California Wildfires After the Drought The drought-ending rains that hit California this winter (htt
California Wildfires After the DroughtThe drought-ending rains that hit California this winter (http://bit.ly/2t3m53j) brought relief to the water-parched state and delayed the start of wildfire season, but now those same rains are being blamed for helping fuel intense fires during a heat-wave.California suffered through 6 years of drought that brought freshwater supplies worrying low. The drought ended relatively abruptly in most of the state when an unusually wet winter filled reservoirs near and sometimes past capacity, and replenished the snowpack that much of the state relies on for fresh water. It also spurred the growth of grasses and understory vegetation.There is currently a heatwave in southern California, with temperatures in the 40s in Celsius or triple-digits in Fahrenheit (some of which are new record highs), with low humidity. Any vegetation that sprouted during the wet season and was still alive, quickly dried out and died providing fuel for fires.Lightning is responsible for igniting many of the fires, while others will likely be traced to accidental or deliberate human causes. Once started, the fires are spreading rapidly through the dead and dried out vegetation. In one particularly frightening incident, a rapidly moving wildfire trapped children and staff at a summer camp. Thankfully they were rescued without injury.The fires have already destroyed some homes and other structures, and show no signs of slowing down. Between dead vegetation, excessive heat, low humidity, and little rain in the forecast, it’s looking like it will be a rough fire season.REPhoto Credit: Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Dept/Handout via REUTERShttp://read.bi/2tXgSOTReferences:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40549753http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article160263154.htmlhttp://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article160147639.htmlhttp://read.bi/2tXgSOT -- source link
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