California Wildfires 2019: 5 Essential Things To Know

MURRIETA, CA — A fast-moving brush fire in Southern California has scorched some 1,400 acres, forcing residents to leave their homes and canceling school for students in the district. The fire, which broke out Wednesday, is not the first blaze to break out during the state's fire season.

According to the latest statistics from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, nearly 61,000 estimated acres have been burned in California so far in 2019. Officials in the forestry department say the fire season is starting earlier and ending later each year in California and in the Western part of the U.S. in general.

While there have been less fires and acres burned in 2019 so far compared to 2018 — the deadliest and most destructive season on record — officials are warning residents to be prepared and vigilant.

Here are five things to know about wildfires in California:

1) When is fire season?

Robert Baird, a regional director at the U.S. Forest Service, said at a press conference during wildfire preparedness week back in May that it's no longer a fire season.

"We're now calling it a fire year," said Baird.

According to California forest officials, climate change is considered a key driver of longer fire seasons.

"Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire," officials wrote in a 2019 outlook.

More broadly, there are considered to be two fire seasons in California: wildfires in the summer caused by the heat and those in the fall fueled by winds, according to a recent Washington Post report.

2) What is the 2019 fire season expected to look like in the coming months?

According to a wildfire outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center, fire activity lagged far below average during August due to the effects of a late spring and early summer moisture. However, the Sept. 1 outlook says that entering the month, warmer and drier than average conditions are expected along the west coast.

For northern California, the outlook says an "above normal significant large fire potential" is expected in higher elevations in September and October. The same level of fire potential is expected in the middle elevations and east-wind prone areas in southern California.

3) How can I prepare for wildfires?

There are a number of steps you can take to prepare should a wildfire threaten your community. The Ready for Wildfire site has detailed steps for what to do before, during and after a wildfire.

While there's a difference between an evacuation order and an evacuation warning, Ready for Wildfire says residents should leave as soon as an evacuation is recommended and should not wait to be ordered by authorities to leave.

"Evacuating the forest fire area early also helps firefighters keep roads clear of congestion, and lets them move more freely to do their job," the preparation website recommends. "In an intense wildfire, they will not have time to knock on every door."

You can review the full list of resources from Ready for Wildfire to ensure that you're prepared.

4) What are the health effects of wildfires?

Exposure to wildfire smoke can hurt eyes, irritate the respiratory system and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One recent study found that inhaling noxious fine particles can affect the immune systems of children. The CDC also says that children are more likely to be affected by health threats to smoke as their airways are still developing. People with heart and lung disease and older adults are also at greater risk. The agency has a list of steps residents can take to minimize exposure to wildfire smoke.

5) Can I do anything to prevent wildfires?

Cal Fire officials say about 95 percent of all wildfires are caused by human activity. A late August blaze in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles was reportedly intentionally set by a pair targeting a homeless encampment. And last year's Ranch Fire was caused by a spark or metal fragment that came from a hammer, Cal Fire determined.

The Ready for Wildfire website guides residents on how to be safe while using equipment, driving, burning debris and more.

The utility company Pacific Gas & Electric has also been blamed for a whopping number of fires in the state. Cal Fire determined that the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, which killed 85 people, was caused by Pacific Gas & Electric and 12 of the 2017 wildfires were blamed on electric fire and distribution lines, conductors and the failure of power poles. According to a Wall Street Journal report, power lines and other equipment owned by the company have caused more than 1,500 fires in the past few years.