This fall, skies turned orange and rained ash as fires blazed up and down the West Coast. It was the region’s most devastating wildfire season in recorded history. By mid-September, fires in California had burned more than 3 million acres of land—an area about the size of Connecticut. Dozens of fires raged across Oregon and Washington as well, forcing more than 40,000 people from those two states to flee their homes.
The western part of the United States recently suffered from a prolonged drought, which lasted from 2012 to 2017. This lack of precipitation combined with record high temperatures has created a buildup of dried-out vegetation. Strong winds turned forests into matchboxes, ready to burst into flames at the slightest spark.
Scientists say the current situation is an example of climate change’s effects on the planet. State governors are calling for climate-change solutions to prevent such wide-scale wildfires. “The rules of fighting wildfires are changing because our climate is changing,” says Jay Inslee, governor of Washington.