California's Fire Season Roars Early as Blazes Threaten Homes and Pines

California is already contending with multiple large wildfires in May as hot, windy conditions heighten risk statewide; the Santa Rosa Island Fire in Channel Islands National Park has burned about 16,600 acres and threatens a rare Torrey pine grove, though early assessments suggest the stand remains intact; the Sandy Fire near Simi Valley has scorched around 1,400 acres and is only 5% contained, while the River Fire in Kern County has burned more than 3,500 acres and is 15% contained. About 41,000 acres have burned this season, well above the five-year average of 23,380, signaling a potentially severe year ahead. Record warmth has gutted snowpack—the Sierra Nevada is at about 9% of its normal level—underscoring climate-change as a driver of longer, more intense fires.