‘Weather Whiplash’ Helped Drive This Year’s California Wildfires

By Caroline Marshall Reinhart

While many Californians are praying for rain heavy enough to slow the spread of the 6,078 fires that have burned 977,932 acres in the state this summer, firefighters and climatologists recognize that the heavy winter rains are a big part of what have led this fire season to scorch around three times as much total acreage as in 2023.