Outside magazine has an excellent article describing the causes of the forest fires which are currently covering wide swaths of the western United States. The biggest culprit is the continuing drought which has affected parts of the region this year. The wet winter may have also been a factor, since it allowed the regrowth of vegetation that has been stunted for the last few years by the lengthy California drought. You can read the article at https://www.outsideonline.com/2239836/why-west-burning.
