California's Sweeping Wildfires Have Now Burned Through More Than 4 Million Acres
California’s wildfires have burned through more than 4 million acres this year—already far surpassing the previous annual record set two years ago in which wildfires covered less than 2 million acres.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire said in a statement Sunday that more than 8,200 wildfires—of which 23 major incidents are currently active—have led to 31 deaths and the destruction of more than 8,400 structures in 2020.
“The 4 million mark is unfathomable. It boggles the mind, and it takes your breath away,” Scott McLean, a spokesman for Cal Fire, told the Associated Press.
Just on Saturday alone, firefighters fought and fully contained 27 new wildfires. Although temperatures are expected to stay warm statewide Sunday, “a cooling trend is expected to begin slowly, decreasing temperatures slightly each day,” Cal Fire said.
