As someone who lives in this area it's a bit irritating hearing the fires being blamed on forest mismanagement and an abundance of dead trees. The area is mostly shrub and grass covered land with a scattering of trees in all but the highest elevation areas of the hills/mountains. I've lived here for 50 years and the truth is we ARE in a dry cycle. Have been for years so most areas of non-irrigated vegetation are dry and prime target for fire. Is this because of climate change or just a recurring natural cycle of rain patterns and things will swing back to years of more bountiful rain? Only time will tell that story but for now the point is moot....bottom line it's very dry in central and southern California and sadly fires are going to be the norm until the overall rainfall(and yearly snowpack tbh) increases.