User:Magicccfff/2020 California wildfires

California's 2020 wildfire has been labeled as the first "gigafire" as the fires have gone beyond 1 million Acres. The fire has now crossed seven counties and has been labeled as larger than the state of Rhode Island. Reported on Nov. 10 by the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC), there were around 3,400 firefighters plus personnel fighting the wildfires in the United States. On August 22, President Trump issued a major disaster declaration (DR-4558), which provides Individual Assistance and/or Public Assistance. On Nov 10, seventeen counties have been approved. Also, 2,667 applications with a total expenditure of over $16.3 million have been approved, resulting in an average of approximately $6,100 per application.

Wildfires in California occasionally occur due to natural causes, but the majority are inadvertently set by humans. Around quarter of fires have been linked to undetermined causes, followed by incidents regarding fireworks, explosives, glass refraction, and shootings. The ambiguity in the causes of such fires have resulted in creating complications in firefighting efforts at the origin area. The varied terrain of California, consisting of deep canyons and steep hills, present further obstacles for firefighters. With the advent of COVID-19, there have been decreases in firefighting resources as well as agencies like inmate firefighters, who typically assist in such efforts.

The National Interagency Fire Center's (NFIC) National Interagency Coordination (NICC) reported that monthly outlooks for the entire country will still drive wildfires across the country but especially California. Climate change has played a significant role in shaping the number and intensity of wildfires in California. The generally hotter climate, reduced snowpack in the Sierras, drier vegetation and diminished precipitation during the spring season have provided for massive wildfires to ignite with ease and quickly burn through parched vegetation. Incredibly high wind speeds serve as a catalyst for enlarging California fires while preventing air support in the form of retardant-dumping planes and water-dropping helicopters. Southern California has two primary fire seasons in which the first is from June to October, driven by warm, dry winds that spark inland fires. The second lasts from October through to April, propelled by the Santa Ana winds that blow West from the great Basin and Mojave desert, sweeping over the Transverse Mountain Range and down into the valley. The Santa Ana Winds are a large source of concern due to fires igniting in the fall and winter months growing at triple the rate of others intrude on more densely populated areas. Northern California experiences similar gusts from the Diablo winds that enter through the East, down the Sierras and funnel toward the coast, which can reach wind speeds of 80 miles per hour on a regular basis.

As of December 3rd 2020, there have been 9,279 fire incidents with 4,197,628 total acres burned. In total, 10,488 structures have been destroyed or damaged as a result of the fire incidents, along with at least 31 fatalities. The 4.2 million acres burned in the year of 2020 exceeds the combined amount of burned land between the years of 2017-19, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) database. Five of the six biggest fires to have ever occurred in the State of California have been burned in 2020, which include but are not limited to the August Complex Fire, SCU Lighting Complex Fire, Creek Fire, LNU Lightning Complex Fire, and North Complex Fire.

California has historically received upwards of one billion dollars in relief but the distribution of relief money has been staggered due to federal and bureaucratic delays. During the years of 2017 and 2018, the state has received $1.3 billion in federal aid to fuel rebuilding efforts after the wine country wildfires, the Camp Fire in Butte County amongst others. Around $300 million was targeted towards relief for the fire incidents in 2017 and the remaining sum for 2018. Of the remaining billion dollars, about 30% was allocated towards financing new houses for low income renters, 25% was set aside to rebuild single family homes, and the last 45% was dedicated towards repairing roads or water systems. The goal of allotting the largest portion of the fund towards rebuilding infrastructure and other general public improvements was to lessen the effects of future incidents. Gaining access to the funding is facilitated through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For both the years of 2017 and 2018, it has taken two years for the funding to be approved by federal officials and state plans for relief of the 2020 wildfires is still undergoing the approval process. Legislation in favour of streamlining the disaster relief through HUD has not advanced despite bipartisan support. In other efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided support through temporary housing and other forms of short term assistance. Organisations such as The Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Red Rover, have also been integral in assisting relief efforts by distributing food, general supplies, or shelter as well as unsolicited donations.