Severe droughts provide huge fuel for widespread wildfires in California in USA

Abstract

The frequently occurred large wildfires in California caught the public’s attention in recent years and the ability to identify and prevent such disasters is pressing. The study built the rational relationship between soil moisture and vegetation based on remote sensing, hydrology and wildfire data during 2001-2017 in California. The purpose is to estimate the effects of droughts on wildfires and to detect the valid fuel for wildfires. The study results reported that severe droughts could cause huge fuel for wildfires and made them even much more widespread and longer sustained. The consequences could provide significant information for identification and prevention of future wildfires in California and even other regions in the world.