California Droughts Worsen and Threaten to Extend Fire Season

Drought conditions are worsening in California, where last week Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for two counties – Sonoma and Mendocino – and directed state agencies to bolster drought resilience, as well as prepare for impacts on communities, businesses, and ecosystems if dry conditions extend to a third year. Parts of Sonoma County were forecast to get half an inch of rain on Saturday, but the area saw significantly less precipitation. “The reality is that we ended up with quite a bit less, so we’re faced with what we anticipate as potentially a long dry summer,” said Paul Lowenthal, assistant fire marshal for the Santa Rosa Fire Department. This year is expected to be the driest ever for the East Bay, the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Much of the water supply comes from the Sierra foothills, which has only seen about 50 percent of its average yearly precipitation. The drought conditions also mean areas are preparing for an extended fire season, with Lowenthal adding that his fire department will likely declare an early start to fire season this year. Read more at ABC News.