The end of the California drought worsened the severity of the wildfires because while droughts have negative impacts, such as drying out vegetation, they also limit the growth of new grass and brush that act as fuel for fires. With the drought over, the lush plant growth provided ample fuel for fires to spread quickly. Additionally, the drought had killed millions of trees and left them standing, waiting to be set ablaze. The excess plant growth from the end of the drought and the abundance of dead trees provided a perfect storm for fires to intensify and spread rapidly, making them harder to contain.
