Oct 4, 2020 - Science

California's record fire season: "Well over 4 million acres" burned

Rebecca Falconer

Firefighters work the scene at a burning property during the Glass fire in Calistoga, California on October 1 — Firefighters work at a burning property at the Glass Fire in Calistoga, California. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

More than 8,200 wildfires have burned "well over 4 million acres" in California this year, killing 31 people and destroying 8,450-plus structures, Cal Fire said Sunday.

Why it matters: Cal Fire confirmed on Sept. 7 that nearly 2.2 million acres had burned, surpassing the previous record set in 2018. The amount of land charred now is bigger in size than Connecticut and more than double that which burned in 2018, when 1,975,086 acres were razed.

Of note: 2018 remains the deadliest year for wildfires, with 85 people losing their lives in blazes.

The big picture: The wildfires have been particularly bad in recent days in California's wine country, where the Glass Fire that started late last month has burned across 63,885 acres and was at 17% containment as of Sunday.

What to expect: More seasonal temperatures are expected by the end of the week, "with a chance of some precipitation in the most northern part of the State," Cal Fire said in a statement.

"Expect locally gusty winds over the next few days on the west edge of the Sacramento Valley, the North and East Bay, and Southern California mountain ranges," Cal Fire said.

"A Fire Weather Warning is in effect for very Northeastern California afternoon from 2pm to 8pm for strong, gusty winds with low humidity in the Tulelake Basin region."

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California's record fire season: "Well over 4 million acres" burned

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