Axios

Since more than a dozen wildfires started ripping northern California Sunday night, at least 15 people have died, more than 20,000 have evacuated, and at least 2,000 homes have been destroyed, according to t<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="he Washington Post." data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/09/fast-moving-wildfires-ravage-northern-californias-wine-country/?utm_term=.bb2b286ab943" data-vars-content-id="02601c12-e935-4ae0-a168-18941cf827d1" data-vars-headline="The California wildfires, by the numbers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/09/fast-moving-wildfires-ravage-northern-californias-wine-country/?utm_term=.bb2b286ab943" target="_blank">he Washington Post.</a> According to C<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NN," data-vars-click-url="http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/10/us/california-wildfire-by-the-numbers/index.html" data-vars-content-id="02601c12-e935-4ae0-a168-18941cf827d1" data-vars-headline="The California wildfires, by the numbers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/10/us/california-wildfire-by-the-numbers/index.html" target="_blank">NN,</a> 20,000 acres of land were torched in 12 hours, putting the fires&apos; advancement &quot;at a rate of more than a football field every 3 seconds.&quot; President Trump a<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pproved Gov. Jerry Brown&apos;s request " data-vars-click-url="http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article178018931.html" data-vars-content-id="02601c12-e935-4ae0-a168-18941cf827d1" data-vars-headline="The California wildfires, by the numbers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article178018931.html" target="_blank">pproved Gov. Jerry Brown&amp;apos;s request </a>for federal assistance.

<strong>Why the blazes are spreading so quickly:</strong> Dry conditions, low humidity, and high winds, according to California&apos;s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The California winter was fairly wet, but vegetation still hasn&apos;t bounced back entirely from the drought. Part of the problem is the winds, which have gone up to 50-70mph in the blazes, are causing spot fires ahead of the fire line, per the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="LA Times" data-vars-click-url="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-northern-california-fires-live-curfew-imposed-overnight-in-santa-rosa-1507598001-htmlstory.html" data-vars-content-id="02601c12-e935-4ae0-a168-18941cf827d1" data-vars-headline="The California wildfires, by the numbers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-northern-california-fires-live-curfew-imposed-overnight-in-santa-rosa-1507598001-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">LA Times</a>.

The Trump administration is taking t<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="he first step " data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-generate-304dfab8-9ec9-4a78-a973-b0331beebcad.html" data-vars-content-id="9e5e116e-032f-4af2-b019-0e13d75240af" data-vars-headline="Reality checking the carbon rule debate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-generate-304dfab8-9ec9-4a78-a973-b0331beebcad.html" target="_self">he first step </a>Tuesday toward repealing President Obama&apos;s signature climate policy, the Clean Power Plan. Let&apos;s reality check two big overarching claims about this regulation, including one EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt made Monday.