Los Angeles wildfires have become perfect fuel for Trump and climate denial
Trending News
4 days, 6 hours ago

Los Angeles wildfires have become perfect fuel for Trump and climate denial

Salon  

As of Friday, the plague of wildfires in Los Angeles has consumed more than 20,000 acres, destroyed roughly 13,000 buildings, forced more than 180,000 evacuations and caused at least 11 deaths. “Climate change is 100% responsible” for the wildfires Kyla Bennett, director of senior policy at the activist group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, told Salon. “The weather patterns over the last few months differ somewhat from those with previous La Niñas, but one can make the case that ENSO might have played a role in priming the landscape for intense fires if the wind blew strongly.” Michael Wehner, a senior scientist in the Computational Research Division at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, agreed with Bond and other experts that climate change is lengthening the western United States fire season because the hotter temperatures make the vegetation drier and more flammable. “Given that the effect of climate change on the Santa Ana winds is unclear, the question becomes: did climate change cause the chances of such a dry year to change?,” Wehner said. As the atmospheric temperatures increase, they suck more moisture out of plants and the surface at a rate of about 7% per degree C. They carry that moisture away and, in the absence of rainfall, lead to wilting and drought conditions, and increased risk of wildfire.” Mann agrees with the consensus view that “climate change played a clear role here.” We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism “The unusually dry conditions in southern California are part of a longer-term pattern of longer dry seasons and late winter rains, due to human-caused climate change,” Mann said.

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History of this topic

Los Angeles wildfires could be the costliest in history
2 days, 6 hours ago

Los Angeles wildfires could be the costliest in history

Salon  

Wildfires still raging across Los Angeles County are projected to be among the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. “This will be the costliest wildfire in California modern history and also very likely the costliest wildfire in U.S. modern history, because of the fires occurring in the densely populated areas around Los Angeles with some of the highest-valued real estate …

‘Half the Country’s Thinking Magically’: California Fire Victims Grapple with the Political Paralysis Over Climate Change
4 days, 6 hours ago

‘Half the Country’s Thinking Magically’: California Fire Victims Grapple with the Political Paralysis Over Climate Change

Politico  

There’s an idea I’ve heard from many Democrats, especially in California, that more experience with natural disasters might spur more urgency around climate change. California’s former governor, Jerry Brown, told me when we met last month in Sacramento that Trump might represent something of an opening for Democrats on the issue: “If the assault on the environment is as extreme …

Stop playing politics with the LA fires and address the key cause: man-made climate change
4 days, 10 hours ago

Stop playing politics with the LA fires and address the key cause: man-made climate change

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Never missing an opportunity to turn …

The California wildfires are not ‘natural disasters’ – they’re man-made catastrophes
4 days, 21 hours ago

The California wildfires are not ‘natural disasters’ – they’re man-made catastrophes

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Southern California’s shift from months of …

California Fires: How human-caused climate change fueled Los Angeles wildfires – all we need to know
4 days, 21 hours ago

California Fires: How human-caused climate change fueled Los Angeles wildfires – all we need to know

Live Mint  

Los Angeles Wildfires: Climate change has been increasingly delaying the onset of autumn and winter rains in parts of California, and in Los Angeles the period since July 2024 has had the second-lowest rainfall in 150 years, reports said. Strong winds that have driven the fires are normal for this time of year, but the recent fires in Los Angeles …

It’s climate change, stupid: Director Jim Jarmusch bashes deniers amid raging LA fires
5 days, 1 hour ago

It’s climate change, stupid: Director Jim Jarmusch bashes deniers amid raging LA fires

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Film director Jim Jarmusch erupted during a critics awards event to attack climate change deniers …

The causes of the California wildfires are closer to home than you think
5 days, 14 hours ago

The causes of the California wildfires are closer to home than you think

The Independent  

If we build on flood plains, properties will flood. John Vaillant, author of the bestselling and quite unputdownable Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast, likes to say we think we live in a “magic bubble” of denial. As Vaillant wrote about a huge fire in Vancouver in August last year: “While researching Fire Weather, I interviewed a lot of …

How Santa Ana 'devil winds' and climate change are fuelling fire conditions in California
6 days, 6 hours ago

How Santa Ana 'devil winds' and climate change are fuelling fire conditions in California

ABC  

Los Angeles is experiencing what's already been declared by some as the worst fires in its history, with a spate of wildfires blazing through parts of the city. Despite California's long history with destructive fires, the fact that these fires are burning in unusually dry winter months has highlighted how climate change is reshaping fire seasons around the world. Sometimes …

Wet winters to wildfires: How nature turned Los Angeles into a tinderbox
6 days, 6 hours ago

Wet winters to wildfires: How nature turned Los Angeles into a tinderbox

India Today  

Wildfires raging around Los Angeles advanced into the Hollywood Hills, following a series of devastating blazes in the region that claimed at least five lives, destroyed hundreds of homes, and severely strained firefighting resources and water supplies. The wildfires devastating Los Angeles have been fueled by a perfect storm of environmental conditions, leading to unprecedented destruction and loss of life. …

California wildfires show we are not prepared for climate change
6 days, 6 hours ago

California wildfires show we are not prepared for climate change

Salon  

I spent most of the evening on January 7, a Christmas Day celebrated by Orthodox Christians around the world, monitoring local news and emergency apps for evacuation alerts for the Los Angeles area. As one writer pointed out on X on Tuesday night, “this is how people turn into climate refugees.” As Salon has previously reported, nowhere will be safe …

It’s not really the right time for nasty California fires. What are the factors that changed that?
6 days, 7 hours ago

It’s not really the right time for nasty California fires. What are the factors that changed that?

Associated Press  

Southern California is experiencing it’s most devastating winter fires in more than four decades. A man walks past a fire-ravaged business after the Eaton Fire swept through Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. A man walks past a fire-ravaged business after the Eaton Fire swept through Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. Share Share Copy Link copied Email …

LA fires: The disaster in California just revealed a very grim truth.
6 days, 7 hours ago

LA fires: The disaster in California just revealed a very grim truth.

Slate  

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Going into early Wednesday morning, even more fires started within the county and consumed hundreds of acres, while Palisades fire hydrants found themselves sapped of water. Just one day after Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook and Instagram would no …

California’s Wildfires Show No Signs of Slowing Down
55 years ago

California’s Wildfires Show No Signs of Slowing Down

Wired  

On Tuesday, Santa Ana winds swept seaward through Southern California, scattering embers and then fanning flames of a growing wildfire. The fires turned catastrophic so quickly because of unusually dry and windy conditions: “Any little spark, whether from a lightning strike or a person or a campfire is going to quickly, quickly escalate,” says Jennifer Marlon, research scientist and lecturer …

What is the latest science telling us about climate change?
1 week ago

What is the latest science telling us about climate change?

The Hindu  

After another record-breaking year for global temperatures in 2024, pressure is rising on policymakers to step up efforts to curb climate change. The last global scientific consensus on the phenomenon was released in 2021 through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but scientists say evidence shows global warming and its impacts have since been unfolding faster than expected. Critical point …

California Winds Drive Severe Fire Danger in Rain-Starved LA
Top News
1 week, 1 day ago

California Winds Drive Severe Fire Danger in Rain-Starved LA

Live Mint  

-- Exceptionally powerful, dry winds expected across Southern California this week are set to send wildfire risk skyrocketing in a region that’s endured more than eight months without significant rain. As offshore winds race down local mountain ranges, they’ll bring gusts of up to 80 miles per hour to densely-populated communities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, putting more than …

December Wildfires Are Now a Thing
3 weeks, 3 days ago

December Wildfires Are Now a Thing

Wired  

This story originally appeared on High Country News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A downtown Los Angeles weather station has recorded only 5.7 inches of rain this year, and not even a quarter-inch has fallen in December, which is usually the middle of the region’s wet season. That’s the real kicker.” Daniel Swain, climate scientist, UCLA In …

With bone-dry conditions, Southern California high fire danger could linger into the new year
1 month ago

With bone-dry conditions, Southern California high fire danger could linger into the new year

LA Times  

By this time of year, Southern California has usually recorded some measurable rainfall. If the rains don’t come and the winds do, he said, “that will keep us in high fire season.” Two recent stretches of dangerous Santa Ana winds played out exactly the way forecasters worried they would, fueling the flames of major fires across coastal Southern California. “Down …

As COP 29 begins, take a climate change reality check: Supercharged hurricanes, volcanic surge, oceanic slowdown, more
2 months ago

As COP 29 begins, take a climate change reality check: Supercharged hurricanes, volcanic surge, oceanic slowdown, more

Live Mint  

This year's U.N. climate summit - COP29 - is being held during yet another record-breaking year of higher global temperatures, adding pressure to negotiations aimed at curbing climate change. The last global scientific consensus on climate change was released in 2021 through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, however scientists say that evidence shows global warming and its impacts are …

'All gone': Thousands told to evacuate as wildfire nears Los Angeles
2 months, 1 week ago

'All gone': Thousands told to evacuate as wildfire nears Los Angeles

Firstpost  

Fierce seasonal winds were casting embers up to three miles from the seat of the fire around Camarillo, with new spots burning on hillsides, farmland and in residential areas Inhabitants on dirt bikes look at the Mountain Fire’s plume and fire helicopters as it scorches acres, the wildfire fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, in Santa Paula, California, on November …

California wildfires are spreading and intensifying faster, putting more people in danger
2 months, 2 weeks ago

California wildfires are spreading and intensifying faster, putting more people in danger

LA Times  

San Bernardino County firefighters work to save a home in Wrightwood as they battle the Bridge Fire in September. A new paper in the journal Science puts that sentiment to the test, with startling findings: California fires spread almost four times faster in 2020 than they had in 2001. “People are pretty good at putting out all fires,” said Park …

Hey, presidential candidates, climate change would like a word
3 months, 1 week ago

Hey, presidential candidates, climate change would like a word

LA Times  

It is Wednesday, Oct. 2. The Cedar fire killed 15 people and destroyed more than 2,500 structures in San Diego’s inland suburbs and rural communities; at the time, it was the largest California wildfire in 75 years. A fire season surpassing 1 million scorched acres of land that doesn’t feel like a big deal — that’s climate change. A hurricane …

Southern California is suddenly besieged by fire. Experts say fall will be worse
4 months ago

Southern California is suddenly besieged by fire. Experts say fall will be worse

LA Times  

For the first time in years, Southern California has found itself once again besieged by wildfire. “The odds definitely favor a continuation — and maybe even an escalation — of Southern California fire season over the next couple of months,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA. “Normally what’s the most damaging and destructive time of the year for …

Hillside erosion worsening in California due to wildfires and intense rain
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Hillside erosion worsening in California due to wildfires and intense rain

LA Times  

Over the last three decades, California has seen increasing erosion after major wildfires — a phenomenon that not only endangers water resources and ecosystems, but is also likely to worsen with climate change, according to researchers. “In Northern California, we really see this huge increase from the first decade to the second to the third to the fourth,” said Helen …

Wildfires in Canada and the Amazon made more likely by climate change – report
5 months ago

Wildfires in Canada and the Amazon made more likely by climate change – report

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Unprecedented fires that raged in Canada and parts of the Amazon were at least three …

California braces for heavy wildfire activity this fall: ‘They’re only going to get worse’
6 months, 4 weeks ago

California braces for heavy wildfire activity this fall: ‘They’re only going to get worse’

LA Times  

Experts are warning Californians to brace for a ‘very active’ wildfire season this fall as two back-to-back wet winters and forecasts for a warmer-than-normal summer are likely to prime the state’s landscape for fire. “The bad news is that I think that the back half of this season is going to be much more active — with a lot more …

Wildfire weather is increasing in California and much of the U.S., report finds
8 months ago

Wildfire weather is increasing in California and much of the U.S., report finds

LA Times  

Wildfire weather has become more frequent in the Western United States over the past five decades, with some of the largest jumps in California, according to a new report by Climate Central, a nonprofit news outlet that reports on climate change. The report found the average annual number of fire weather days is increasing throughout the majority of California, especially …

‘Way, way, way above normal’ rains could set all-time L.A. record as wet weather continues
9 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Way, way, way above normal’ rains could set all-time L.A. record as wet weather continues

LA Times  

A jogger and palm trees are reflected in a pool of standing rain along the beach path as a late-season storm moves out of Southern California on Sunday in Santa Monica. That wet pattern has continued as winter has given way to spring, with this past weekend’s storm dumping up to 4 inches of rain in some areas — pushing …

Chile risks repeat of deadly wildfires because of climate change, report says
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Chile risks repeat of deadly wildfires because of climate change, report says

The Hindu  

Deadly wildfires like those that burned through central Chile and killed at least 133 people this month will become more likely in the South American country as climate change makes the world hotter and drier, according to a report released on Thursday. The report from World Weather Attribution, an international group of scientists that studies the effects of climate change …

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile's
11 months, 1 week ago

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile's

The Hindu  

At least 123 people have been killed by wildfires in central Chile, leading its president to declare two days of national mourning. Scientists say climate change makes the heat waves and drought now hitting South America more likely — and both contribute to wildfires by drying out the plants that feed the blazes. Edward Mitchard, a forests expert at the …

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile’s
11 months, 1 week ago

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile’s

LA Times  

At least 131 people have been killed by wildfires in central Chile, leading its president to declare two days of national mourning. Scientists say climate change makes the heat waves and drought now hitting South America more likely — and both contribute to wildfires by drying out the plants that feed the blazes. Edward Mitchard, a forests expert at the …

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile’s
11 months, 1 week ago

How climate change contributes to wildfires like Chile’s

Associated Press  

At least 123 people have been killed by wildfires in central Chile, leading its president to declare two days of national mourning. Scientists say climate change makes the heat waves and drought now hitting South America more likely — and both contribute to wildfires by drying out the plants that feed the blazes. Edward Mitchard, a forests expert at the …

Opinion: No matter the weather, climate change means it’s always ‘fire season’
1 year ago

Opinion: No matter the weather, climate change means it’s always ‘fire season’

LA Times  

In December, as rains were predicted in California, I performed the annual ritual of removing my go bag from its place in the living room and stashing it in a storage closet. In places at high risk for wildfire, the close of fire season brings a certain peace of mind to people like me who live with constant anxiety during …

Is California’s wildfire season finally over? Don’t bet on it, experts say
1 year, 3 months ago

Is California’s wildfire season finally over? Don’t bet on it, experts say

LA Times  

California has entered fall amid notably moist conditions that have left some wondering whether this year’s fire season has officially fizzled. Explore the section But while it’s tempting to call this year a washout, recent storms have also spurred new vegetation growth that could act as fuel, Cal Fire officials said. “We know that there’s a lot of fuel available, …

America’s summer of extreme weather sparks major jump in climate crisis believers
1 year, 3 months ago

America’s summer of extreme weather sparks major jump in climate crisis believers

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Extreme weather that brought dangerously high temperatures, wildfires, severe storms and flooding across the United States coincided with a …

Climate change drives hotter, more frequent fire seasons in the Northern Territory
1 year, 3 months ago

Climate change drives hotter, more frequent fire seasons in the Northern Territory

ABC  

Bushfire experts say climate change is fuelling the massive bushfire sweeping across the Barkly region, which will become more frequent in the Northern Territory. Key points: Close to 80 per cent of the NT is expected to burn by March Experts say global warming is leading to greater fire risk School students are taking to the streets to call for …

Climate change boosts risk of explosive wildfire growth in California by 25%, study says
1 year, 4 months ago

Climate change boosts risk of explosive wildfire growth in California by 25%, study says

LA Times  

Sierra Cobras fire crew member Gustavo Cisneros keeps an eye on a hillside as flames roil the Sequoia National Forest during the 2021 Windy fire. “So it’s important to look at more direct on-the-ground solutions to the problem like fuel reduction.” Although previous studies have looked at the impact of climate change on broader metrics like annual area burned, as …

California is working on solutions to worsening climate change. Will they be enough?
1 year, 4 months ago

California is working on solutions to worsening climate change. Will they be enough?

LA Times  

In the opening chapter of “The Ministry for the Future,” science-fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson details a calamitous heat wave that kills almost all the residents of a small town. “The simple equation is climate change, warmer atmosphere, more intense rain, more pollution, more problems but also major catastrophic infrastructure damage,” said Stefanie Sekich, senior manager of Surfrider Foundation’s coast …

Explained | How climate change drives heatwaves and wildfires in Europe
1 year, 4 months ago

Explained | How climate change drives heatwaves and wildfires in Europe

The Hindu  

Europe is once again battling scorching temperatures this summer, with wildfires blazing across the continent from the Mediterranean to Spain. Every heatwave being experienced today has been hotter and more frequent due to climate change, said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who co-leads the World Weather Attribution global research collaboration. Climate change drives wildfires Climate change …

Catastrophic fires 13,000 years ago drove mass extinctions — and humans may have lit the match
1 year, 4 months ago

Catastrophic fires 13,000 years ago drove mass extinctions — and humans may have lit the match

Salon  

About 13,000 years ago, flora and fauna began disappearing from the fossil record in the region of modern-day Southern California in a mass extinction. "The human population increases, they start to kill off the herbivores, the fuel loads start to increase, there's a big drought and you're suddenly starting to get these massive fires that are burning down the forests," …

From Hawaii to Greece, the planet is broiling from wildfires. How much is climate change to blame?
1 year, 5 months ago

From Hawaii to Greece, the planet is broiling from wildfires. How much is climate change to blame?

Salon  

This week, social media has been flooded with tragic images of a freakish wildfire that leveled a Hawaiian town, leaving at least 53 people dead and destroying more than 270 buildings, according to county officials August 10. "It's no secret that wildfires are related to climate change, as are hurricanes," Sarah Barmeyer, Deputy Vice President for the National Park Conservation …

California's extreme wildfires are triggering "fire whirls"
1 year, 5 months ago

California's extreme wildfires are triggering "fire whirls"

Salon  

Thousands of acres are burning as of Wednesday from California and Oregon to Washington and the US-Canada border, all due to wildfires being exacerbated by climate change. Because humans are emitting greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, we are exacerbating unprecedented extreme weather events like extreme wildfires. Perhaps the most seemingly bizarre detail: Firefighters battling the wildfires along the California-Nevada …

What wet winter? California prepares for peak wildfire season
1 year, 6 months ago

What wet winter? California prepares for peak wildfire season

LA Times  

Fire crews cut a fire line in thick brush in the burn zone of the Fairview fire, near Hemet, in September 2022. Standing beneath the blistering sun at the Grass Valley Air Attack Base in Nevada County, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection chief Joe Tyler outlined the state’s plans to battle blazes this year with new tools and …

"No end in sight" to wildfire smoke suffocating American cities. And yes, climate change is to blame
1 year, 6 months ago

"No end in sight" to wildfire smoke suffocating American cities. And yes, climate change is to blame

Salon  

The Canadian wildfires are continuing a development that is becoming all too common: Climate change is causing extreme abnormal weather, and millions of people are suffering as a result. The National Weather Service warned that "with no end in sight to the Canadian wildfires and west to northwesterly winds expected to persist from south central Canada into the north central …

Wildfire burn areas in California are growing ever larger due to greenhouse gas emissions
1 year, 7 months ago

Wildfire burn areas in California are growing ever larger due to greenhouse gas emissions

LA Times  

Although California may be enjoying a lull in this year’s wildfire season — courtesy of a wet winter and a cool spring — scientists say humanity’s relentless burning of fossil fuels has ensured that wildland fires will scorch ever larger portions of the state, perhaps as much as 52% more by midcentury. AghaKouchak said similar attribution studies — such as …

California ‘weather whiplash’ fuels uncertainty in upcoming wildfire season
1 year, 8 months ago

California ‘weather whiplash’ fuels uncertainty in upcoming wildfire season

LA Times  

When Jonathan O’Brien sees the rolling green hills of Southern California, the grasses lush from this winter’s heavy rains, he can’t help but feel uneasy. “When that happens, it’s all but inevitable we will see a severe fire season or two.” This summer, however, O’Brien and other forecasters project that portions of the state could get a break. But this …

Why epic California rains might not prevent a dangerous fire season ahead
1 year, 11 months ago

Why epic California rains might not prevent a dangerous fire season ahead

LA Times  

It’s something of a Golden State paradox: Dry winters can pave the way for dangerous fire seasons fueled by dead vegetation, but wet winters — like the one the state has seen so far — can also spell danger by spurring heaps of new growth that can later act as fuel for flames. “The dice are loaded for a weak …

Rain, snowfall reduce risk of wildfires in California
2 years, 2 months ago

Rain, snowfall reduce risk of wildfires in California

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “My sense is it’s certainly …

Climate change is rapidly accelerating in California, state report says
2 years, 2 months ago

Climate change is rapidly accelerating in California, state report says

LA Times  

A firefighter goes through the burn zone of the Fairview fire near Hemet on Sept. 9, 2022. Ten of the 20 largest wildfires since 1950 burned in 2020 and 2021, including the record-breaking August Complex, which surpassed 1 million acres in 2020 to become the state’s first “gigafire.” “It is troubling how some of the changes are occurring a lot …

A single, devastating California fire season wiped out years of efforts to cut emissions
2 years, 2 months ago

A single, devastating California fire season wiped out years of efforts to cut emissions

LA Times  

A nearly two-decade effort by Californians to cut their emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide may have been erased by a single, devastating year of wildfires, according to UCLA and University of Chicago researchers. He said that’s the essence of the study’s title, “Up In Smoke,” because “a lot of the hard-earned gains to fight climate change could be wiped out …

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