Wildfires are a common occurrence in the rugged chaparral landscape of southern California. In 2025, they were made far worse by the arrival of the Santa Ana winds, which peaked in intensity in December 2024 and January 2025. Other factors included the effects of climate change, which brought heavy rains that fostered the growth of vegetation in the years prior to the fires, and the state’s history of suppressing fires, all of which increased fuel loads.
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