Record-breaking heat and a historic drought are fueling what's now the largest wildfire in California so far this year. The Beckwourth Complex Fire, consisting of the lightning-caused Dotta Fire and Sugar Fire near Plumas National Forest, has burned 92,988 acres and was approximately 46% contained as of Tuesday (July 13) morning. However, low humidity, dry winds and extreme heat could cause potentially dangerous fire behavior as firefighters fight the blaze, said the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). The blaze has been so fierce that a "firenado" was reported on Saturday, July 10. According to BBC News, a fire tornado is a rare phenomenon in extreme conditions when swirling winds are heated by a wildfire and rise to form a rotating column of smoke and flames. Several other active fires in California include the Juniper Fire, Lava Fire, Salt Fire, Tennant Fire and Willow Fire. All of which were at least 70% as of Monday.

U.S. West up in smoke

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, from January 1 to July 11, over 1.8 million acres have burned in 33,491 fires, surpassing 2020's activity for the same period. Currently, more than 300,000 acres are burning across six states, USA Today reported. Oregon is experiencing three major fires, with the largest being the Bootleg Fire, which doubled in size from July 10 to July 11 to more than 150,000 acres. NWCG Incident Commander Al Lawson said in a news release, " "The fire behavior we are seeing on the Bootleg Fire is among the most extreme you can find, and firefighters are seeing conditions they have never seen before." In Arizona, two firefighters died in a plane crash over the weekend when responding to the Cedar Story Basin Fire near Wikieup. Sky-high temperatures also triggered fires in Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Role of climate change

Many government officials and scientists agree that a key underlying cause of increased wildfire activity is climate change. Cal Fire states: "While wildfires are a natural part of California's landscape, the fire season in California and across the West is starting earlier and ending later each year. Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire. The length of fire season is estimated to have increased by 75 days across the Sierras and seems to correspond with an increase in the extent of forest fires across the state." Related: 

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