Forest fires across California have become significantly more destructive over the past four decades, with new research showing that high-severity blazes now dominate many forest landscapes. Scientists from UCLA found that while the total area affected by forest fires has increased tenfold since 1985, the land burned by the most damaging fires has surged by a factor of 30. Published in PNAS, the study examined wildfire patterns between 1985 and 2024, revealing a fundamental shift from low and moderate-intensity fires, which can benefit ecosystems, to severe fires that destroy large areas of forest and leave limited opportunity for natural recovery. Researchers attribute the trend to a combination of climate-driven aridity and increasingly dense forest vegetation. The findings suggest California’s forests are approaching a tipping point, with extensive tree loss raising the likelihood that some landscapes could permanently transition from forest to grassland or shrubland. The researchers argue that adapting forest management practices could help reduce the risk of future high-severity forest fires. Severe forest fires now outnumber beneficial burns Historically, many California forests experienced relatively …