It’s unclear if global climate change is to blame, but a professor of fire science at the University of California Center for Fire Research and Outreach said firefighters have been reporting in recent years that wildfires in California aren’t slowing down at night like they used to.

"Right now, forests absorb global-warming pollution. But that's changing as temperatures rise." Featuring Center researcher Dr. Brandon Collins

This winter, record-breaking rainfall brought California’s long-lived drought closer to its final hour. However, it also raised the probability of large wildfires this summer, particularly those fueled by tall grasses that are thriving now but will start drying out soon, fire officials say. The potential for large fires “is expected to remain near normal through the spring, but once fine fuels dry out, there will likely be a spike in grass fire activity,” according to a report by the National Interagency Fire Center.