Wildfires in California burn fiercely through the night

Climate change is intensifying nighttime wildfires in California, making them larger and harder to control, as observed over the recent July 4 weekend.

Austyn Gaffney reports for The New York Times.

In short:

• Wildfires in California are growing and spreading overnight due to climate change, challenging firefighting efforts.
• Overnight fires, now more frequent, expand rapidly and give firefighters less time to intervene.
• Continuous nighttime burning is linked to extreme weather conditions, including heat waves and droughts.

Key quote:

“Night won’t save us. With climate change, we will see more and more overnight burning.”

— Kaiwei Luo, doctoral student in environmental sciences at the University of Alberta.

Why this matters:

Nighttime fires present unique challenges for firefighters. The cooler temperatures and higher humidity that typically help to suppress fires overnight are no longer as reliable. Instead, hotter nights and drier conditions allow fires to spread rapidly and unpredictably, endangering communities and natural habitats.

Related EHN coverage:

• How do wildfires impact your health?
• We’re dumping loads of retardant chemicals to fight wildfires. What does it mean for wildlife?
• How toxic wildfire smoke affects pregnant people