California fire season has been quiet. A heat wave could change that fast

A fast-moving fire near Sonora in California's Central Sierra foothills has forced hundreds to evacuate and prompted road closures, according to CalMatters. Cal Fire suspects the 226-acre Dove Fire was intentionally set by a 30-year-old man. The blaze punctuates what's been a below-average fire season for the state — but a more unsettling pattern is emerging. New research published in Science Advances found that just under half of warm-season burned acreage between 2001 and 2024 occurred during or after heat waves, which create drier fuels, intensify nighttime fire activity, and can prime conditions for lightning strikes. A dangerous heat wave is forecast to arrive later this week, with dangerously hot conditions by Friday.

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