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Ogen Dorjee

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Article of courtesy of nytimes.com

“Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires?”

California is bracing for the possibility of another devastating fire season.

After two years of drought, the soil moisture is depleted, drying out vegetation and making it more prone to combustion. In May, Gov. Gavin Newsom extended emergency drought orders to 41 counties across the state, and a wildfire in western Los Angeles served as a stark warning that an active wildfire season may have already arrived.

“The level of concern is through the roof,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at U.C.L.A. and the Nature Conservancy.

What is it about California that makes wildfires so catastrophic? There are four key ingredients.