CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE MAP SERIES

The quieter fire year was received gratefully by state officials and was highlighted by multiple news outlets, which attributed the downturn in severity largely to fortunate weather patterns, such as well-timed precipitation and favorable wind conditions. Governor of California Gavin Newsom officially marked 'the end of peak wildfire season” in most of the state in mid-November. Peak fire season in California typically occurs in late summer and/or fall, and effectively ends when significant precipitation occurs across the state. However, while the number of fires to date in 2022 was only slightly below the 5-year average (7,641 fires versus 8,049 fires), the total acreage burned was well below the 5-year average 363,939 acres burned in 2022 thus far versus the 5-year average of 2,324,096 acres (though that average includes several of California's most significant fire seasons).

The 2022 season followed the 20 California wildfire seasons, which had the highest and second-highest (respectively) numbers of acres burned in the historical record, with a sharp drop in acreage burned.ĭrastic climatic and ecological conditions, including climate change and long-term drought, had led to the anticipation of another potentially above-average wildfire season on the heels of two previous such seasons in 20. Wildfires killed nine people in California in 2022, destroyed 772 structures, and damaged another 104. By the end of the year, a total of 7,667 fires had been recorded, totaling approximately 363,939 acres (147,281 hectares) across the state.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE MAP SERIES

The weather service issued a red flag warning of extreme fire danger through Tuesday afternoon for parts of Los Angeles and Riverside counties.The 2022 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires burning throughout the U.S. The National Weather Service said Riverside County could see winds of 15 to 25 mph through Tuesday with gusts as high as 40 miles per hour. They have fueled some of the largest and most damaging fires in recent California history. The strong, hot, dry, dust-bearing winds typically descend to the Pacific Coast from inland desert regions during the fall. Southern California was seeing its first significant Santa Ana wind condition. Hopefully the forecast holds.”Ī large air tanker, bulldozers and other resources were called in to fight the fire, one of the few large and active blazes to have erupted so far in California’s year-round fire season, LaRusso said. The winds were expected to ease somewhat overnight and fire crews would attempt to box in the blaze, LaRusso said.īut, he added: “Wind trumps everything. Winds of 20 to 25 miles per hour with some higher gusts drove the flames and embers through grass and brush that were dried out by recent winds and low humidity so that it was “almost like kindling” for the blaze, LaRusso said.

California wildfire map