(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
CA Governor Jerry Brown says wildfires caused by climate change, tells victims this is ‘new reality’
California governor blames devastating wildfires on climate change and says deadly winter infernos will be ‘the new normal’
- California Governor Jerry Brown said Saturday that destructive winter wildfires will be the ‘new reality’
- Blamed climate change for deadly infernos and urged lawmakers to take heed of natural disasters
- Fire crews bracing for high winds that are expected to whip Southern California wildfires Saturday night
- Gusts of up to 40mph are expected Saturday and up to 50mph Sunday in the Los Angeles area
- Six fires have destroyed more than 500 buildings, killed dozens of horses and forced 212,000 to evacuate
- First fire-related death confirmed on Friday after woman was found dead in crash along evacuation route
By KEITH GRIFFITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES
California’s governor has said that deadly wildfires in the winter will be ‘the new normal’, as fire crews rushed to contain the fires, with dry desert winds expected to intensify over the weekend.
Governor Jerry Brown on Saturday toured Ventura County neighborhoods ravaged by a weeklong wildfire that killed at least one person and destroyed hundreds of homes and other buildings.
At a news conference, the Democrat said drought and climate change mean California faces a ‘new reality’ where lives and property are continually threatened by fire, at a cost of billions of dollars.
He added that gusty winds and low humidity are continuing and warned that there’s a good chance of seeing ‘firefighting at Christmas‘.
He said it will take ‘heroic’ efforts in the US and abroad to stem climate change and urged US lawmakers to pay more attention to dealing with natural disasters such as fires, floods and earthquakes.
Over the past week, six major wildfires have forced more than 200,000 people to flee and choked the air across much of the region.
Forecasters predict wind gusts to become more intense by Saturday night, challenging the 8,700 firefighters who have been battling the fast-moving blazes for five days.
Smoke from the raging wildfires in Ventura County is seen on Saturday. ‘I used to love the wind—the feeling of free-spiritedness it brought as it whipped through my hair and made me a little unsteady on my feet,’ wrote photographer Jenni Keast. ‘Not any more. Now it’s just bringing destruction and mayhem as my beloved state burns’
