CALIFORNIA: Wildfires in California have covered more than 2 million acres this year, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), setting a record for a single fire season.
“This year, wildfires have now burned over 2 million acres. There have been 8 fatalities and more than 3,300 structures destroyed,” Cal Fire said in a Monday update, adding that “Much of California is currently under a Red Flag Warning for strong, gusty winds and low humidity.” According to Cal Fire, more than 14,100 firefighters are now battling blazes across California.
Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), says this year’s wildfire season in California has set a new record.
“Incredibly, this slipped in ‘under the radar’ due to the more acute short-term wildfire crisis: 2020 has now eclipsed 2018 for the most acres burned in California in a single year during the modern era (2,094,955 acres),” Swain wrote on Twitter.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued emergency proclamations for several counties amid the wildfires. US President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for California on August 22.
Newsom declared a statewide emergency on August 18. (ANI/RSS)
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