Large California wildfires: 2020 fires in historical context

Abstract Background California in the year 2020 experienced a record breaking number of large fires. Here, we place this and other recent years historical context by examining records fire events state back to 1860. Since drought is commonly associated with events, investigated relationship droughts over 160 period. Results This study shows that extreme such as seen are not unknown historically, what stands out distinctly new increased fires (defined here > 10,000 ha) last couple years, most prominently 2020. Nevertheless, there have been periods even greater numbers fires, e.g., 1929 had second greatest In fact, 1920’s decade one many Conclusions decade, several exceptionally Earlier show similar size nineteenth early twentieth century. Lengthy droughts, measured Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), were peaks both 1920s twenty-first