California's burning – and half the US is now in drought

If you live in the US, there is a 50 per cent chance your area is abnormally dry. According to the National Drought Monitor, half of the country is now in some level of drought, and almost 15 per cent is in "extreme or exceptional" drought. The sustained dry spell may explain why wildfires have broken out earlier than expected in California.

The US has been suffering a series of droughts since 2010, with south-west states like Texas often bearing the brunt. In the last year, California has succumbed to perhaps the worst dry spell in its history.

Beginning on Wednesday, a spate of wildfires broke out in California, far earlier in the year than normal. It is unclear what started the fires, but it seems likely that the lack of rain has contributed by drying out forests. The photo below shows offenders from Oak Glen Conservation Camp, a correctional facility where inmates are trained as firefighters, retreating to higher ground as a fire approaches. NewScientist