AdvertisementThis year’s wildfires scorched more than 4 million acres — a modern record — claimed 31 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 10,000 structures, according to Cal Fire. In early September, smoke choked much of the state, obscuring the sun and turning Bay Area skies an ominous orange. A ship passes beneath the Bay Bridge as smoke from Northern California wildfires blanketed San Francisco in early September. In a widely cited 2007 research paper, UC Berkeley scientists estimated that prior to 1800, about 4.5 million acres of California burned every year in fires ignited by lightning and Native Americans. Yet year after year, state and federal funding for such work remains a pittance compared to the billions of dollars spent on firefighting.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 23, 2020 14:02 UTC