Climate change was a major factor behind the hot, dry weather that gave rise to the devastating LA fires, a scientific study has confirmed. It made those weather conditions about 35% more likely, according to World Weather Attribution - globally recognised for their studies linking extreme weather to climate change.

The hot, dry and windy conditions that preceded the Southern California fires were about 35% more likely because of climate change, according to a new report.

Human-caused climate change made the Los Angeles-area fires more likely and more destructive, according to a study out Tuesday. Why it matters: The study — from an international group of 32 climate researchers — shows how climate change fits into the myriad factors that made the multiple blazes one of California's most destructive and expensive wildfire disasters on record.