“We are in a situation now where the wildfire season doesn’t really have its normal beginning or end,” said Lori Kobza, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
The 629,000 acres burned this year follows large swaths torched last year in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Napa and Sonoma counties, causing dozens of deaths, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Many scientists attribute the more frequent and ferocious fires in the U.S. and around the world, at least in part, to climate change.
Air quality may be the most pressing issue, but scientists say that ultimately water — another human necessity — is in danger, too. Ash, burned soil and toxic residue from incinerated houses, businesses and machinery can make their way into lakes, rivers and reservoirs, said Carmen Burton, a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s California Water Science Center in San Diego. The extent of the contamination depends on factors such as topography and the number and type of materials burned.
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