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The wildfires that started in the Malibu region have now spread through San Diego County and are burning all the way to Mexico. More than 250,000 Californians have already been forced from their homes, which I believe now qualifies the fires as a disaster of memorable and epic proportions. The reasons for the fire include unusual weather patterns of record drought and violent wind:
The fires were being fueled by stronger than usual Santa Ana winds roaring out of the region's canyons, scientists said Monday. The powerful, dry winds typically blow between October and February and peak in December.Typically, Santa Ana conditions last about a day, but the ones that flared up over the weekend were expected to last through Tuesday."For it to be this strong for so many days is unusual," said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.It's unclear if these weather patterns are related to climate changes, but overall the American West is drying out thanks to decreasing snowpack due to higher temperatures, as The New York Times magazine detailed in this frighteningly well-timed cover story over the weekend.
--Garance Franke-Ruta
