CALIFORNIA (KERO) — Nearly all of California's rural land is now classified as having a "high" or "very high" risk for wildfires, according to a new analysis from the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The department says that 85 percent of rural land is at risk, with the amount of land at very high risk jumping by more than 14 percent when compared to a previous analysis. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) lists the climate crisis as a key factor for this change.
The state's new proposed Fire Hazard Severity Zone map covers nearly 17 million acres. The last version of this map was done in 2007.
