Opinion: California built its way into extreme wildfire danger. Now it needs to build its way out
On Monday, the Alisal Fire in Southern California burned through more than 13,000 acres in a 24-hour period, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. Along with it came power shutoffs for tens of thousands of Californians in 23 counties across the state — a disruptive but increasingly unavoidable tactic to reduce the risk of additional fires from downed power lines.
As fire season extends later into the year, a growing share of Californians are being forced to reckon with its brutal effects. These events are not random freaks of nature. They are the consequence of decades of dissonance surrounding the scientific realities of living in fire country in California and the mushrooming threats from our rapidly changing climate.