‘Particularly dangerous’ wildfire weather returns to California and could linger for months, say forecasts

Fire crests the hills behind Pacific Palisades as firefighting aircraft drop water and refill to fight the flames in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday. Photograph: Daniel A Anderson/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

When it comes to forecasting the conditions for catastrophic California wildfires, there are two main ingredients: fuels (think grasses, shrubs, trees – basically anything that’s available for fires to burn) and winds.

When analyzing fuels, forecasters look mainly at the levels of drought, along with any recent rains that may help diminish the effect of longer-term drought. With winds, in southern California at least, it’s all about anticipating the Santa Anas – the fierce winds that blow offshore, from the deserts to the coast, bringing loads of dry air with them.