"Climate change and urbanization are the main culprits of large wildfires in the western United States."

While Los Angeles (LA), the largest city in the western United States, is experiencing all-time wildfire damage, frequent and destructive wildfires in the western United States are attributed to climate change and urbanization, according to an analysis.

The U.S. ABC reported that wildfires in the western U.S. have become frequent and large enough to cause 10 of the largest wildfires in the U.S. state of western California within the last 20 years.

California's wildfire-affected areas increased 172% from 1970 to 2021, and the impact of climate change is expected to continue to increase.

In a national climate assessment in November last year, the U.S. federal government diagnosed that wildfires in the West have become intense over the past decades and have increased their destructive power due to rapid urbanization and human-amplified climate change.

In addition, strong and dry gusts called "Santa Ana" blow from the western inland desert to Southern California in winter, which further lowered California's humidity, according to an analysis.