Glen MacDonald in The Hill: Southern California wildfires expected to increase in frequency by end of century, study says

Wildfires in Southern California are expected to grow significantly by the end of the century given a projected increase in global temperatures due to climate change. A new study led by University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers analyzing data dating back to 1975 found that there has not been a significant increase in the amount of area burned in Southern California in around four decades.  

UCLA climate scientist Glen MacDonald concluded that wildfire risk will be heightened near the beginning and the end of current wildfire seasons. “I look at our data and think, ‘The probability of having one of those big fire events is increasing year by year as we dump more carbon dioxide into the environment,’” MacDonald said in a press release. “That’s not theoretical; that’s stressing me out in the autumn and the early winter.”