California's Glass Fire is 50% contained, but blazes still rage across the state
California's Glass Fire is now 50% contained, according to California's fire authority. The fire, which has burned through acres of California, including Napa and Sonoma, is just one of the wildfires currently ablaze in the state.
According to Cal Fire, the fire has burned nearly 67,000 acres, with crews battling higher temperatures at higher elevation levels. In a press release on Tuesday, Cal Fire announced that 16 firefighters were assessed for possible carbon monoxide exposure outside of the fire zone, but only one firefighter was transferred to the hospital. The other 15 were released "back to the fire line."
According to the National Weather Service of Sacramento, the containment could be aided by cooler temperatures sweeping across Northern California, in addition to expected widespread rain. However, firefighters are still monitoring forward progress of the fire, as well as in place evacuations. The fire has destroyed 600 homes, and threatens 21,000 others if the blaze continues, according to California Fire.
South of the Glass fire, California's August Complex blaze has become what experts call a "gigafire" as the fire has burned over one million acres of land. This marks the first gigafire in the history of California, the largest in the state's history. According to Cal Fire, the blaze is 59% contained.
The current fires across California have accounted for almost four million burned acres in 2020, marking a fire season that has produced five of the largest fires in California history. In an effort to fight climate change, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in September to drastically reduce the state's fossil fuel reliance in the next fifteen years. "This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change," Newsom said in a statement announcing the change. "For too many decades, we have allowed cars to pollute the air that our children and families breathe. Californians shouldn't have to worry if our cars are giving our kids asthma. Our cars shouldn't make wildfires worse – and create more days filled with smoky air."
