In 3-5 sentences, explain how the end of the California drought worsened the severity of the wildfires. Provide specific examples in your answer.

Question

(4 points) HINT: Unit 8 Lesson 3, Page 2 - Click on California Extreme. CITE THIS SOURCE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH
How to Answer - Include these points:
> The amount of snow and rainfall that occurred when the drought ended in the winter
> Explain how this water made wildfires WORSE the next summer.

CITE THIS SOURCE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH. Unit 8 Lesson 3, Page 2

Paragraph Sentence Starters – Just fill in the blanks, then copy/paste into the essay box on your test! Remember to copy/paste the source we give you below in your answer!
When the drought of ____ (year?) in ____ (state?) ended, there was an unexpected result.
The amount of snow and rainfall was ___ (choose one: more or less) than any other winter.
The wet winter helped _______ to grow. Then the new growth dried out and combined with millions of _____ ______. This provided (choose one: more or less) fuel for wildfires.
Copy this source on your test: Source: Unit 8 Lesson 3, Page 2

CALIFORNIA EXTREME:
California Extremes
From 2011 to 2017, California experienced the worst drought in its
history. According to the United States Forest Service, over 100 million
trees died due to the dry conditions. However, in the winter of 2017,
the drought ended. That winter saw more snow and rain than any
other winter in over a century. While it seems like that should have
brought relief to the parched state, it actually added to the problem.
The dry ground could not soak up the water fast enough. Record
flooding occurred, causing over a billion dollars in damage to roads
and bridges. Mudslides closed roads and interrupted public transit.
The state had swung from one extreme condition to another.
The extremely wet winter helped plants grow. Grasses and shrubs
flourished, but the disaster was not over yet. The new plant growth
combined with the millions of dead trees fueled massive wildfires.
During the summer of 2017, California experienced nearly 9,000 fires
that burned over 1.2 million acres of land (nearly 2,000 square miles).
This is roughly the size of the entire state of Delaware. The fires
damaged or destroyed over 10,000 homes and businesses.

Answer 1

When the drought of 2011 to 2017 in California ended, there was an unexpected result. The amount of snow and rainfall was more than any other winter in over a century. The wet winter helped grasses and shrubs to grow. Then the new growth dried out and combined with millions of dead trees, which provided more fuel for wildfires. Consequently, during the summer of 2017, California saw nearly 9,000 fires that burned over 1.2 million acres of land, resulting in significant damage to homes and businesses. Source: Unit 8 Lesson 3, Page 2.