California is burning
Let's help raise awareness
California's wildfire crisis
California is used to wildfires. But the Golden State's record-breaking
2020 wildfire season is shaping up to be particularly brutal. A
blistering heat wave fueled dozens of simultaneous fires — conditions
that spurred Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a statewide state of
emergency. Tens of thousands of people evacuated. Millions of acres
burned. Businesses in noted wine-growing areas, including Napa Valley,
were also under threat. And still more fires spread along the
California-Oregon border. In some areas, hundreds of people have been
removed from their neighborhoods by helicopter, and thousands have been
affected by fire-related power outages. Skies turned disturbing shades
of orange in many areas, as strong winds blew smoke across large swaths
of the state. Here, Butte County firefighters watch as flames quickly
spread across a road at the Bear fire in Oroville, California on
September 9, 2020.
CREDIT: JOSH EDELSON/Getty Images
Learn more on CBS News