Excess Heat Intensifies Fire Risk in California

Although storms pummeled the Sierra Nevada with rain and snow in the spring, federal officials say sizzling temperatures in Central California have caused the mountain range to dry out faster than usual, making the next two months a high-risk time for wildfires.

For example, one daytime temperature reading this month of 91 degrees at nearly 7,000 feet in Graveyard Meadow, east of Fresno, compares with the usual reading in the mid-70s.

“It’s not too bad in the higher elevations yet, but we could have a very busy August and September,” said Matt Mathes, regional spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, which is responsible for more than 11 million acres of the Sierra.

Officials say Central California’s portion of the 400-mile-long Sierra seems safe compared to mountain areas in Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. Four years of drought and a bark beetle infestation have made 415,000 acres of dead trees prime for a fire. About 75,000 people live in that zone.

“The governor has declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties,” said spokeswoman Karen Terrill of the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “There are lots of homes in those areas.”

Conditions across the West look even worse, with many regions having the driest conditions in recorded history.

“From Arizona to Canada, we’re seeing a lot of potential for fire,” said Sheri Ascherfeld, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center, which tracks wildfires.

But Hurricane Claudette, roaring inland from the Gulf of Mexico, has reduced temperatures across the West while raising humidity and dampening many small lightning-sparked fires.