[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The fires raging in Southern California may or may not be part of a trend caused by climate change,which has led to hotter temperatures, drier forests, and shiftingweather patterns, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Global warmingwill lead to more destructive fires in general, according to experts.

The Torrance Daily Breeze reports that the fires are causing major health issues, with local emergency rooms reporting an increase in respiratory problems. "Even healthy people without chronic conditions are at risk forasthmatic episodes, allergies, eye irritation and lung damage becausethe particles in the air caused by smoke are too small to be filteredby the body," according to the article.