March 19, 2024
Climate change ramping up California wildfire danger
BERKELEY – (INT) – Climate change has created a new wildfire reality in California, and areas where wildland and urban development meet are increasingly at risk of catastrophic wildfires.

More than 25 million acres of California wildlands are now classified as under very high or extreme fire threat. And due to climate change, this high-risk area will likely only grow over time.

“Every Californian has skin in the game when it comes to reducing wildfire risk,” said Governor Newsom Tuesday. “This isn’t ‘just’ a rural or suburban problem. Dense urban areas pose some of the highest risks for destruction and loss of life from wildfires, and climate change is putting urban communities at even greater risk.”

Governor Newsom was joined by Bay Area mayors and state and local fire officials and first responders, to discuss how the state and local communities are working together to address the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

Tuesday’s info session event took place near the ignition point of one the deadliest wildfires in state history, the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire, which resulted in 25 fatalities and destroyed 3,469 homes and apartment units.
Story Date: April 30, 2019
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