California endured record-shattering wildfires last summer, and the coming months might be even worse.
Fifteen major wildfires were burning in California as of Aug. 30, according to CAL FIRE. Those include the Dixie Fire in Northern California, the second-largest wildfire on record in California, and the Caldor Fire in the Lake Tahoe resort area.
Since the beginning of the year, fires have burned more than 1.76 million acres
The map below shows where California's wildfires are burning (updated daily). Use the layover tool to the right to toggle between displays, including fire perimeters.
- The red fire symbols classify the fire by acres. The symbol increases in size as the fire increases in coverage.
- The polygons show current perimeters.
- The map legend also shows Hazardous Wildfire Conditions: Red Flag Warning and Fire Weather Watch.
CAL FIRE statistics show more than 3,500 wildfires have been reported through June 27 this year in California. Those fires have burned more than 17,000 acres.
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In 2020, 2,875 wildfires were reported through June 27 with 21,607 acres burned.
California’s five-year average for that same interval is 2,305 fires and 28,046 acres burned.
One reason for the grim outlook is the current dry spell.
As of late June, 33 percent of California was in exceptional drought, the most severe of the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor's four drought categories. Last year at the same time, no parts of the state were in exceptional drought.
Now, 85 percent of the state is in extreme drought -- the second-most severe category. Last year, just 2 percent of California was in extreme drought.
The US Drought Monitor's updates are based on precipitation, temperature, soil moisture and streamflow measurements.
