Publication: L.A. Times

UCLA Expert: Park Williams: Associate Professor and Climate Hydrologist, Department of Geography

Synopsis: Experts say it’s too soon to know with certainty what the upcoming fire season has in store. 

UCLA News: Lower-elevation areas could be at risk, Williams said. That includes the hills around Los Angeles and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and northern coastal ranges, which are bursting with new grasses that can easily dry out. “This year, we’ve loaded up the ground with a whole bunch of new vegetation, and so in summertime — as long as the summer is hot and dry — the probability of grass fires is probably higher this year than normal,” he said. There are other factors as well. Many of California’s largest fires in recent years have started during intense heat waves, which are becoming hotter, longer and more frequent due to global warming, increasing their likelihood of contributing to conflagrations, said Williams.

Read more at L.A. Times.