Sep 26, 2020 - Energy & Environment

West's fire season starts earlier, lasts longer

Firefighters battle the Bobcat Fire in California's Angeles National Forest on Sept. 22.

Firefighters battle the Bobcat Fire in California's Angeles National Forest on Sept. 22. Photo: Robert Gauthier/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

September's wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington add up to the worst fire season on record — over 5 million acres burned, thousands of buildings destroyed and two dozen people killed, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: "This season is part of a long-term trend toward more frequent, more devastating fires in the West that shows no sign of slowing down." Lagging forest management practices and climate change — which causes hotter, drier conditions — have contributed to the unprecedented fire season.

Go deeper: Wildfires in the West are fueling changes in forests

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