Experts say that 2 million tons of dead trees are acting as fuel for the Creek Fire and making the flames hotter, quicker and more difficult for firefighters to battle.
Officials in Madera County are looking ahead to fire season because of the four million dead pine trees in the mountains.
Four years of drought and an infestation of bark beetles has caused an estimated 22 million trees to die in California, increasing the risk of wildfires, Brown said.