CALIFORNIA, USA — Fire crews are battling multiple wildfires up and down the Golden State as California's wildfire season officially gets underway.
The largest active fire burning in California is the Lava Fire near Mount Shasta.
According to Cal Fire, 2020 was one of the most severe fire seasons on record as 9,917 wildfires burned 4.2 million acres. Over 9,000 structures were destroyed, and 31 people (civilians and firefighters) were killed.
California also experienced its first "Gigafire" because of the August Complex Fire, burning over 1 million acres by itself. Four of California's top five largest wildfires in state history happened in 2020.
So far in 2021, over 73,000 acres have burned from 4,599 incidents.
At the beginning of June, Cal Fire told ABC10 its "tracking right now to have a very busy fire season."
The fires Cal Fire is working on are listed on a map HERE.
National Interagency Fire Center live map (it might take a few seconds for the fires to show up on the map):
Here are where fires and wildfires are burning in California from Esri:
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
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