LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — As a rapidly spreading wildfire forces the evacuation of the entire Pacific Palisades community, experts warn that the region’s prolonged drought is a major factor driving the extreme fire risk.
“It’s been bone dry from about Santa Barbara southward, only a few sprinkles since last season. So we’re going on 9-10 months now without meaningful rain,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.
In fact, Swain noted that parts of Southern California are experiencing the driest start to the season on record, as well as the driest 9-month period ever observed.
This has created ideal conditions for a fire to go from an ember to a full-blown crisis, especially when aided by the region’s notorious Santa Ana winds.
Swain said this most recent weather event, the dangerous winds and tinder-dry conditions from lack of rainfall will likely have a bigger impact on Southern California than a substantial rainstorm.
He warned that under a perfect storm of fire conditions, even minor weather events could trigger major day-to-day disruptions, including road closures and widespread power outages.
“Certain roads will be closed to public access to prevent potential fire ignitions. Hundreds of thousands, if not perhaps over a million, people could end up seeing power outages through a combination of preemptive safety shutoffs by the utilities to reduce risk or actual unintended power outages,” Swain said.
The Palisades Fire was first reported around 10:30 a.m Tuesday on the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive. By 3:30 p.m., it had exploded to more than 1,200 acres and forced thousands out of their homes.
After nearly a year without significant rainfall, Southern California faces the threat of a potentially catastrophic wildfire season. Experts warn that the drought-stricken landscape has created highly flammable conditions, increasing the risk of destructive fires in the months ahead.
UCLA’s officials said the school’s facilities management and emergency operations teams are proactively patrolling the campus overnight to monitor for fire hazards and closely watching for fallen trees or branches that could cause damage.
UCLA events teams worked to secure all campus signage ahead of Tuesday night’s basketball game against the University of Michigan.
There is currently no containment on the Palisades Fire, according to CalFire. California Gov. Gavin Newsom urged Californians to be proactive and track the latest weather conditions on Ready.CA.Gov.
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — As a rapidly spreading wildfire forces the evacuation of the entire Pacific Palisades community, experts warn that the region’s prolonged drought is a major factor driving the extreme fire risk. “It’s been bone dry from about Santa Barbara southward, only a few sprinkles since last season. So we’re going on 9-10 […]
Leave a Reply