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Vegetation that has benefited from California’s abundant snow and rainfall this year has provided fuel for the fire. Yuccas burn during the York fire in the Mojave National Preserve on July 30 | David Swanson, Getty Images

air, food & water, climate change

Daniel Swain for the New York Times — California’s Largest Wildfire of the Year Sweeps Across the Mojave

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses the 2023 wildfire season in California for the New York Times, explaining that “given [we had] an exceptionally wet winter and cool spring, larger fires in sparsely vegetated areas that are typically ‘fuel limited’ should be expected due to the extra vegetation growth such conditions foster.”