“If You Are in Denial About Climate Change, Come to California”
—Governor Gavin Newsom
Number of acres burned in all of 2019: 259,000
Number of acres burned to date in 2020: 3,400,000
(an amount greater than all of Connecticut; equal to 4,000 Central Parks)
September 19, 2020
Reading Time: 1 minute
Grim Milestones
- This year is now the largest wildfire season recorded in California history, with more than 7,000 fire incidents.
- Right now, the first-, third-, and fourth-largest fires in California’s history are all burning.
Natural Wonders, Ravaged
- Number of trees destroyed in the Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest (which contains giant redwoods): 150 million (equivalent to roughly two percent of all of the state’s trees).
Property Lost
- Structures destroyed in the 2019 fires: 732.
- Structures destroyed to date in the 2020 fires: 4,700.
Towering Economic Cost
- Cost so far to the state of California: $80 billion (roughly equal to the price of eight of today’s World Trade Centers).
Overwhelmed Forces
- Number of firefighters currently battling California wildfires: 16,000.
- Number of firefighters in all of New York City: 11,000.
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