The 2021 California wildfire season was a series of

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

s that burned across the state of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. As of December 16, 2021, a total of 8,619 fires have been recorded, burning across the state. At least 3,629 buildings have been destroyed by the wildfires, and at least seven firefighters and two civilians have been injured battling the fires. The wildfire season in California experienced an unusually early start amid an ongoing drought and historically low rainfall and reservoir levels. In January 2021 alone, 297 fires burned on nonfederal land according to the

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is the fire department of the California Natural Resources Agency in the U.S. state of California. It is responsible for fire protection in various areas under state responsi ...

, which is almost triple the number of fires and more than 20 times the acreage of the five-year average for January. The January fires were exacerbated by unseasonably strong

Santa Ana winds The Santa Ana winds (sometimes devil winds) "Scholars who have looked into the name's origins generally agree that it derives from Santa Ana Canyon, the portal where the Santa Ana River -- as well as a congested Riverside (CA-91) Freeway -- leav ...

, and some of them burned in the same areas as previous fires like the CZU Lightning Complex. The long term trend is that wildfires in the state are increasing due to

climate change in California Climate change in California has resulted in higher than average temperatures, leading to increased occurrences of drought and wildfires. During the next few decades in California, climate change is likely to further reduce water availability, ...

. In terms of the amount of fires burned, the 2021 season has been outpacing the 2020 season, which itself was the largest season in the state's recorded history. As of July 11, more than three times as many acres have burned compared to the previous year through that date, with drought,

extreme heat A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

, and reduced snowpack contributing to the severity of the fires. The state also faces an increased risk of post-wildfire landslides. As of August 18, 2021, the state of California was facing "unprecedented fire conditions" as multiple fires including the Dixie Fire, McFarland Fire,

Caldor Fire The Caldor Fire was a large wildfire that burned in the Eldorado National Forest and other areas of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado, Amador, and Alpine County, California, in the United States during the 2021 California wildfire season. T ...

, and others raged on. On October 18, 2021, the state of California, especially in the Northern regions where the majority of the fires had been located, received its first rain in over 200 days. Wildfire risk has lowered substantially in Northern California but remains high in Southern California where the Santa Ana wind season has remained mild so far.

Impact

Pyrocumulus cloud produced by the Dixie Fire on July 22-5865

Tumbleweed Fire, Los Angeles County 2021, Part 1

More than 120 families have been evacuated from the fires, and companies including

PG&E The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 millio ...

have preemptively spent billions of dollars to reduce the risk of wildfires and avoid an event similar to the previous year's fire season. Firefighters have also set prescribed fires to prevent other fires burning. During evacuations from the Lava Fire, an illegal marijuana farmer was shot and killed by police after brandishing a firearm at authorities, while "defending his farm".

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than , or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

Wildfires Listed by month

References

External links

Current fire information
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(CAL FIRE) {{DEFAULTSORT:California Wildfires Cali Effects of climate change California, 2021

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

Impact

List of wildfires

Wildfires Listed by month

See also

References

External links