It’s ‘Not Correct’ To Blame Global Warming For California’s Wildfires, Scientist Says

California Gov. Jerry Brown blamed “those who deny” global warming for wildfires devastating the state, while President Donald Trump blamed the blazes on the state’s “gross mismanagement of the forests.” So, who is right? Both of them are wrong, according to University of Washington climate scientist Cliff Mass. “The situation is complex,” Mass told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “And most of the politician are getting things wrong.” “President Trump is not correct that forest management is a major issue in these fires,” Mass said via email. “The recent fires are predominantly in grassland and chaparral.” “And Governor Brown is not correct that global warming is a significant issue,” Mass said. “The grasses and chaparral would have been dry enough to burn no matter what, since California is typically dry after its typical long warm/dry summer and the offshore-directed Diablo/Santa Ana winds would have dried it out in any case.” Strong Santa Ana, or Diablo, winds combined with single-digit humidity readings provided the perfect conditions for catastrophic wildfires to ignite and quickly spread. “A fact-based view would note the key role of the strong offshore-directed winds (which should WEAKEN under global warming), the role of human ignition, and the massive invasion of flammable wildland by people during the past fifty years,” Mass told TheDCNF...MORE