Part 2/13:
California has faced a relentless barrage of devastating wildfires in recent years, with flames consuming towns like Paradise, and fires ravaging areas from Simi Valley to Trinity County. The sheer scale of land burned—measured in hundreds of thousands of acres—has become a grim hallmark of the state's climate crisis. Despite the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) pouring over a billion dollars annually into fire suppression efforts, wildfires continue to spread with alarming ferocity. This persistent problem underscores a critical reality: traditional top-down firefighting strategies may be insufficient against the worsening impacts of climate change, which intensifies the frequency and severity of wildfires.