With multiple wildfires continuing to ravage the northern part of California, the White House is stepping up its efforts to combat extreme weather events.
It’s already been an active wildfire season, not only in California but across the western portion of the United States with 37,000 wildfires burning more than 3.4 million acres.
"We are preparing for a more resilient future but also preparing for the challenges that seem to be inevitable now," said Gina McCarthy, former EPA administrator and President Joe Biden’s top climate advisor.
In recent weeks, the president has convened the governors of western states twice to discuss the response.
Traffic is diverted off of the 71 freeway during the Blue Ridge Fire on October 27, 2020 in Chino Hills, California.David McNew/Getty Images
McCarthy told KCBS Radio that wildfires are now an issue of "national security."
"This isn’t just about wildfires anymore," she emphasized. "It’s really about how we keep our states and our communities safe."
She said wildfires are a symptom of climate change along with the state’s ongoing drought, plus extreme heat. "Because it is a silent killer that often goes unnoticed but it actually has more impact on lives that all of the other climate impacts that we have identified."
McCarthy added that new investments in fire resiliency are being made in the president’s infrastructure package.
The Dixie Fire, currently burning in Butte and Plumas counties is now California’s third-largest wildfire ever at 432,813 acres.
