Top line:

Where we stand: Year-to-date, there have been more than 3,500 wildfires across the state through early July, burning about 207,000 acres of land, up from about 10,000 acres this time last year. The five-year average of acres burned through mid-July is about 39,000 acres, Cal Fire said last week.

Why it is important: As part of its 2024 budget, California will allocate $2.6 billion through 2028 to fight wildfires and improve forest health, in addition to $200 million annually for fire prevention. To improve staffing, the state’s firefighters will be shortening work weeks, and the state has set a goal of hiring about 2,400 more firefighters over the next five years.

The main causes: More than 95 percent of wildfires are caused by humans, Tyler said. He warned California residents to be cautious during activities that can create sparks, such as mowing lawns, towing vehicles, welding and shooting weapons.

So far this year’s wildfire season in California has seen about 20 times more acres of land burned than at about the same time last year.

Year-to-date, there have been more than 3,500 wildfires across the state through early July, burning about 207,000 acres of land, up from about 10,000 acres this time last year. The five-year average of acres burned through mid-July is about 39,000 acres, Cal Fire said last week.

“We are not just in a fire season, we are in a fire year,” said Joe Tyler, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), at a press conference. Beginning of July.

Tyler said Cal Fire and its partners are “fully staffed” with fire trucks, bulldozers and the newly introduced Blackhawk helicopters, which can fly at night.

As part of its 2024 budget, California will allocate $2.6 billion through 2028 to fight wildfires and improve forest health, in addition to $200 million annually for fire prevention. To improve staffing, the state’s firefighters will be shortening work weeks, and the state has set a goal of hiring about 2,400 more firefighters over the next five years.

More than 95 percent of wildfires are caused by humans, Tyler said. He warned California residents to be cautious during activities that can create sparks, such as mowing lawns, towing vehicles, welding and shooting weapons.

In hot, dry and windy weather, as was the case in California, sparks can ignite flames. Governor Gavin Newsom also cited record temperatures and lightning strikes as the cause of some of the fires.

“Climate change is real… If you don’t believe the science, you have to trust your own eyes, the lived experience that we all have here in the Western United States and, for that matter, all over the world,” he said.

Copyright: NPR