As the destruction continues with southern California’s wildfires that could be the costliest in U.S. history, one West Virginia University researcher said ongoing warm air temperatures and variable precipitation will lead to even more extreme fires in the future.

A West Virginia University expert says wildfires, which are already unpredictable, are particularly hard to control when paired with extreme winds and in heavily residential areas, like the devastating situation southern California is currently facing.

Some Northern CA cities have been soaked with almost twice their average rain, while southern cities are bone-dry. This season’s huge — possibly unprecedented — disparity works in favor of water supplies.