7: Forests, Key Message 1).…Models project…up to a 74% increase in burned area in California, with northern California potentially experiencing a doubling under a high emissions scenario toward the end of the century.Īccording to an analysis done in 2015, the number of weeks in the year during which climate conditions in Northern California are favorable for very large fires will double or quadruple by mid-century (2041-2070) compared to the recent past (1971-2000) if carbon dioxide emissions remain high. mid-elevation conifer forests by 650% (Ch. In California, wildfire season is nearly year-round. Welcome to the Age of Fire: California wildfires explained.

by John Osborn DAgostino and Jeremia Kimelman AugJanuary 8, 2024. National Climate Assessment:īetween 19, warmer and drier conditions increased burned area in western U.S. Explore this map of active wildfires across California also featuring a history of state wildfires and their toll in acreage, property and lives. Watch Duty is the only wildfire mapping and alert app powered by real people giving you real-time information vetted by trained professionals, not robots. Southwest are likely to face this kind of devastating fire season even more often in the second half of this century.Īccording to the U.S. The Bootleg Fire in Oregon and the Beckwourth Complex Fire in California have burned more than 900 square miles combined.

Thanks to the interplay between human-caused global warming, the legacy of historic fire suppression policies, and natural variability in drought cycles, California and the rest of the U.S. Map: Track the wildfires in California and Oregon. NOAA graphs, based on data from NCEI's Climate at a Glance tool. Winter (December–February) precipitation (top) and summer (June–August) average temperature in California from 1896-2017.

Map of california wildfires