California Governor Jerry Brown says the state has a "new normal" when it comes to wildfires. Brown visited the fire lines of the 70,000 acre Rocky Fire in Northern California today.
"But I think this is really a real wakeup call because of the way this fire preformed," he says. "It’s not the way it usually has been, going lots of different directions, moving fast even without hot winds."
Brown linked the fire to climate change, saying the combination of rising temperatures and a historic drought has created conditions for devastating fires. He says more are likely to occur has fire season truly gets underway.
Brown says the state has spent an extra $200 million on firefighting equipment and personnel over the last two years.
The state is beginning a damage assessment to see how much the fire has cost.
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