California’s main wildfire season is starting earlier in the year, and human-caused climate change is a major reason, new research finds. In the journal ‘Science Advances’, it states fire season now begins 46 days earlier in the Cascades, 31 days earlier in the Northern Basin, and 24 days earlier in the Sierra Nevada – all areas within California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in Montecito, California. Montecito is located specifically on the south coast of Santa Barbara County. It sits between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, east of the city of Santa Barbara.
The onset of summertime fire activity in large parts of the state has crept into spring by up to two months since the early 1990s, according to the study. Officials and disaster managers in the state now often speak of fire as a year-round hazard, instead of a seasonal threat.
In the north of California, fire activity is often dictated by the dryness of “dead fuels” — fallen branches, logs, and other woody debris that can take days or weeks to lose moisture. In the south, including Santa Barbara County, wildfires burn primarily through living vegetation, making “live fuel moisture” the critical factor.
This year, the Gifford Fire, which started on August 1 and has become the largest wildfire in the state so far this year, as reported in CBS News. Lyz Bantilan, public information officer for The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, had explained that the district had received numerous reports of ash and smoke.
During the harshest fires earlier this month, she told local outlet KSBY: “When the air quality is affected by a wildfire, the best protection that you can give yourself is to stay indoors as much as possible with your windows and your door shut and some sort of air purifier device.”
As of Monday August 18, the Gifford Fire is 131,589 acres in size and 95 percent contained, with 2,713 personnel assigned to the incident.
Crews are working toward recovery and helping impacted areas, along with scattering soil and vegetation, improving drainage and supporting natural recovery. The fire has destroyed five structures and at least nine injuries have been attributed to the fire.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle settled in Montecito, California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet shortly after leaving the Royal Family and quitting duties in 2020.
Harry and Meghan’s Montecito luxury abode boasts a total of five acres of land, featuring nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a pool and a tennis court, as well as extensive gardens.
Earlier this year in January, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met with the city’s mayor Victor Gordo and emergency workers tackling the Eaton Fire. The couple wanted to meet the first responders and visit some of the families in the impacted area.