Lightning-ignitions and Santa Ana Wind-Driven Fires: Research Brief

This paper explores whether human or natural ignition (lightning) sources are linked to wildfire occurrence during Santa Ana wind events. While lightning ignitions during Santa Ana conditions have been rare in the past, predictions under anthropogenic climate change project drier fuels during the winter months when lightning and Santa Ana winds are more likely to occur simultaneously, increasing the future potential for devastating wildfires.

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Bendix, Jacob, and Hartnett, Justin. 2018. Asynchronous lightning and Santa Ana winds highlight human role in southern California fire regimes. IOP Science https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aace39/meta