California Wildfires Burn Record Four Million Acres

Wildfires in California have burned a record four-plus million acres this year, an area larger than Connecticut. The figure is more than twice the acreage burned in the previous record year, 2018. Five of the top six fires in California’s modern history have occurred this year, including the largest single fire on record; the Creek Fire that has burned more than 320,000 acres.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that there have been over 8,300 fires in the state since the beginning of the year. The Washington Post reports scientists have linked the severity of 2020′s California wildfire season to a combination of human-caused climate change and land-use practices.

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently stated, “If that’s not proof point, testament, to climate change, then I don’t know what is.” However, climate change isn’t the only factor. Scientists years of fire suppression policies have allowed vegetation, fuel for the fires, to build up in forests.

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