Thompson Fire becomes first major wildfire of 2024 wildfire season
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Butte County on Wednesday over the growing Thompson Fire in Butte County, just outside the town of Oroville.
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Wildfire state of emergencies have been a constant announcement during Newsom’s two terms of office. While the most destructive year on record, 2018, highlighted by the disastrous Camp Fire that killed 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise, occurred during the tenure of former Governor Jerry Brown, Newsom has seen the largest wildfire seasons fall under his time as Governor. This included the largest wildfire year to date, 2020, where around 4% of the state’s land was touched by such fires.
However, thanks to major ‘bomb cyclone’ storms in the past few years, the number of wildfires have drastically gone down. The 2023 wildfire season had the lowest total number of wildfires dating back to 2016, with the second lowest number going back to 2010. Overall, it was the fourth weakest season since the turn of the millennium. Even with a quieter season last year, Newsom still declared a few wildfire state of emergencies, with the last two coming in August 2023 when he called for a state of emergency over two fires in Siskyou County and Del Norte County respectively near the Oregon border.
That streak ended this week when the Thompson Fire started early in the morning on Tuesday. While it is still unknown what caused the blaze, the National Weather Service said that a heat wave going through the state caused many areas to dry out, creating optimal conditions for a fire. The Thompson Fire quickly spread fast in Butte County outside of Oroville. By Wednesday, the fire was at 3,568 acres with 0% contained. So far 13,000 people have evacuated.
The state secured a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) late on Tuesday, foreshadowing that the Thompson Fire was expected to continue growing before it could even begin to be contained. This was confirmed by Governor Newsom on Wednesday where, after a meeting with Cal FIRE and Cal OES, he declared a state of emergency over the growing Thompson Fire.
Newsom IS the state of emergency.
I agree. Paying unemployment insurance to people in state prison under his watch. Encourages illegals to come to the state for benefits. Where does it end – and he wants to be President of the USA.
Bob; it will end when the voters finally WAKE UP and stop voting for RAT party candidates!