Why is it so difficult to put out wildfires?

So why is this blaze so difficult to control, and the death toll so high? The wind. The late summer winds that blow into California from the Great Basin region, east of the state - the so-called "Diablo winds" - drop elevation as they move out towards sea level. That has a few knock-on effects. read more

“Those fires were put out by European settlement.” Man-made climate change has also created more favorable conditions for wildfires. Fires thrive in warm temperatures that have spiked due to global warming. Conditions like climate change-related drought also increase the likelihood of wildfires. read more