President Trump Issues Major Disaster Declaration for California Wildfires

President Trump has declared the recent wildfires in California as a major disaster. Over 14,000 firefighters have been dispatched to battle the now 585 fires that have devastated more than 1.1 million acres of land. At least six people have died and 43 more, including firefighters, were injured. Hundreds of buildings have burned down and tens of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate from their homes. Over the weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed two of the fires burning near San Francisco are now the second and third-largest in the state’s history. Last week California saw a record-breaking heat wave and over 12,000 dry lightning strikes. The presidential major disaster declaration means Trump has now released federal assistance in order to aid in recovery efforts. On top of all this, California has reported over 650,000 coronavirus cases, the highest in the U.S. This presents a problem for shelters trying to take in as many people they can, while still adhering to CDC guidelines.