Unfortunately this will be potentially one of the worst years ever for wildfires out west.We are a week away from the lowest recorded rainfall ever in L.A,the fuel moisture is already like it is normally in November.I've lived here all my life and never seen anything like it-we have had fires in Malibu,Beverly Hills,Griffith Park,and even Catalina island-all through the dead of winter and spring.While we are in this continued drought(The Sierras have the lowest snow pack since 1989)fire season it seems is no longer seasonal,but year round.When the Karabatic winds of fall arrive it's going to be very bad,i've cut down all my bark beetle infested Pines and cleared brush five hundred feet back of my house(double the county requirement)My cousin is the head arson investigator for a neighboring city,they have been advised by the Rand corp that one possible terrorist scenario will be involving planned starts,and along with the home grown whack jobs(like the one who killed the five firefighters in the Esepranza fire last fall)the writings on the wall.
Here's a very thought provoking article on the fire regime in So Cal,but certainly applies to No Cal as well.
http://www.radicalurbantheory.com/md...alibuburn.html