By Reanna SmithJohn O'Sullivan,

4 hours ago

California residents are being warned by experts that this summer, typically the peak season for wildfires, could be especially severe.

The Golden State has already had a devastating start to the year with wildfires, as Los Angeles is still recovering from deadly fires in January that claimed at least 30 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. June marks the beginning of the peak wildfire months across California, and this year is expected to see above-average activity.

Heatwaves are predicted to bake the state, while abundant vegetation and wind could fuel powerful fires. This means that a single spark could ignite a raging inferno with catastrophic consequences.

Forecasters have already noted signs that this year's fire season could be more intense than usual. The snow in the Sierra Nevada melted earlier than normal and is nearly gone.

"The thing with wildfires is it could be the hottest summer on record, but to have fires, you need ignitions," Dr. Dan McEvoy, a regional climatologist at the Western Regional Climate Center in Reno, told The New York Times.

Meanwhile, this year's grass crop, particularly in Northern California, has been plentiful, providing ample fuel for fires once it dries out. Experts predict that this summer will be exceptionally hot.

Experts are sounding the alarm for a potentially fiery summer ahead, with conditions ripe for more large-scale wildfires. Even the smallest spark could set off significant blazes.

Wildfire season in California typically ramps up between June and October, though several fires have already ignited across Northern California's drying grasslands. Last month, Mono City faced threats from the Inn fire near Yosemite National Park, sparking concerns among fire officials.

"This fire activity in the Eastern Sierra kind of worries me," expressed Tim Chavez, an assistant chief with Cal Fire. "I can't remember a fire in the Eastern Sierra that went up the mountains like that one did. Usually they burn through the river bottom and stay in the flats, and once they get on the slope, they kind of go out."

Yet, the most challenging times may still lie ahead, with predictions of increased fire frequency and intensity as the season progresses, peaking by September.

The upcoming wildfire situation is expected to worsen due to the combination of dissipating heatwaves and rising winds, which will further dry out vegetation and aid in spreading existing fires. "I'm expecting this summer to be the year of wind and heat," Brent Wachter, a fire meteorologist with the US Forest Service in Redding, forecasts.

Donald Trump has mandated substantial reductions to the federal agencies that aid in firefighting, prevention, and recovery, including the National Weather Service, the US Forest Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Chavez noted that even prior to the sweeping cuts by the Trump administration, some federal agencies were "struggling to keep their engines staffed." He cautioned that if the staffing shortage worsens, Cal Fire will need to intervene to help with fires burning on federal land, a task typically handled by the Forest Service.

"That impacts our ability to respond to our own state responsibility fires," Chavez stated. "There's no doubt about it, especially when it comes to aircraft and crews, which is always the first thing you run out of."