Last updated October 15, 2021
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Western Wildfire Season 2016

Western US

Climate disruption has extended wildfire seasons, expanded at risk areas, and increased fire size. This is particularly true for the western United States where both the frequency of large wildfires and the length of the fire season have increased substantially in recent decades thanks to higher temperatures, ongoing drought, earlier spring snowmelt and pine beetle infestations linked to warmer winter conditions. After the record-breaking US wildfire season of 2015, precipitation from the extreme 2015-2016 El Niño alleviated some drought concerns, but severe to exceptional drought remains over southern and central California and western Nevada.

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A Cal Fire truck is driven away from flames as the Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake, California, on August 2, 2015. Photo: Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty