California's Line Fire: 21,000 Acres Burned, 6,000 Evacuated, Climate Change Fuels Wildfires

California's Southern region is facing severe wildfires, with the Line Fire scorching over 21,000 acres and only 3 percent containment as of Monday. The blaze has injured three firefighters and forced the evacuation of over 6,000 people in San Bernardino County. The Line Fire is one of 67 large wildfires burning across more than two million acres in the country, with climate change disrupting the seasonal pattern of major wildfires.

Factors Contributing to Wildfires

The wildfires are fueled by "whiplash" weather, with a sequence of very wet and extremely hot conditions. According to climate scientist Daniel Swain, Southern California is experiencing the worst climate sequence for wildfires. The past two years of wet conditions have led to excess vegetative growth, which dried out rapidly during the recent coastal heat wave. The availability of dry fuel, as a result of rapid moisture loss, increases the intensity and behavior of the fires.

As California continues to grapple with the impact of climate change on wildfire patterns, the threat of devastating fires looms large over the region.