California Wildfire Season Starts Up To 46 Days Earlier Across Regions

Recent research shows that California's wildfire season is starting significantly earlier than in past decades, with some regions experiencing onsets up to 46 days earlier since the early 1990s. This shift to an earlier fire season has been observed across nearly all of California's diverse ecosystems, including the Cascade Range and coastal areas, and is largely attributed to human-caused climate change. The earlier onset means fire activity now often begins in spring rather than summer, effectively extending the wildfire season and increasing the risk and potential scale of fires. Current wildfire activity in 2025 reflects this trend, with California already experiencing more acreage burned than the recent five-year average, particularly in Central and Southern California where dry vegetation and heat waves exacerbate fire conditions. Officials now view fire as a year-round hazard rather than seasonal, underscoring the urgent challenges posed by climate-driven changes in wildfire behavior. The findings highlight the growing threat wildfire seasons pose to communities and ecosystems, with implications for fire management and disaster preparedness.