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Deadly fires are forcing tens of thousands to evacuate in California, leaving many without homes or functioning businesses. While devastating blazes are nothing new in California, climate change has increased their severity in recent years.

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Recent blazes have killed at least seven people and injured dozens more. More than 2 million acres in California have burned in wildfires this year, marking a new record in the state.

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Meanwhile, more than 350,000 California homeowners have been dropped by insurance companies in the past two years. Some homeowners say companies refuse to insure their homes because they are too “high risk.”

As insurers continued to drop policies, the state of California stepped in and temporarily blocked insurance companies from cutting off close to 1 million more customers in 2020.

Homeowners like Chris Arai, the owner of the last home standing on a ridge that was swallowed up by the 2019 Kincade Fire, have taken to protecting their own homes using prevention techniques like fire-repellent gel he coats his windows with, a sprinkler system, and more.

In a normal year, the end of summer would mark the beginning of harvest in California’s wine country. Nearly 15 million tourists visit Sonoma and Napa counties annually — pumping about $4 billion into local businesses.

After years of worsening fire conditions, winemakers are now at the mercy of fires and wind patterns. Businesses are forced to salvage what they can before smoke ruins their grapes, or lose the crops and hope insurance will cover the losses.

Hotter, drier conditions are becoming part of a "new normal" in California. Fire officials say it doesn't take much to start a wildfire, and those responsible for starting fires could be held “financially and criminally responsible."
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“The scale and strength of the fires make them unprecedented, but a growing body of research suggests that giant fires like these will keep happening — largely due to climate change.” insider.com/california-hot…

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