Strong, dry winds play a key role in wildfires blazing out of control every fall in the state, including last week’s 77,758-acre Kincade Fire , which destroyed 374 homes and other structures in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, and the 745-acre Getty Fire, which destroyed 10 homes in western Los Angeles. Neither those nor any recent smaller fires resulted in deaths. Related Another critical factor is the lack of rain, which has left vegetation dry and at higher risk of burning. There has been very little rain across the state this year, and the wet season that normally begins in Northern California in late October has yet to start. That means hillsides and forests are packed with fuel that could burn quickly. “We still have a high probability of seeing fires, but the missing piece is the wind,” said Matt Mehle, a fire-incident meteorologist with the National Weather […]