Wildfires Force California Governor to Declare a State of Emergency

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as wildfires continue to spread across the west. Nationally, there are around 100 fires burning across the region. More than 40 of those fires are in California alone. At least 120,000 acres of land have been destroyed, over a dozen structures damaged, and mandatory evacuations enforced for thousands of residents. At least two firefighters have suffered minor injuries as more than two million homes are facing potential rolling blackouts. In what’s being considered a “extraordinary unprecedented historic event,” the heat wave, winds, and lightening storms making their way across the state is only making things worse. Death Valley also reported a record breaking high temperature of 130 degrees just a few days ago. Over 42 million people will be under some type of heat warning within the state through at least tomorrow or Friday. The majority of fires have not been contained.