Biden surveys wildfire damage

On his way to an election rally in Long Beach, Calif., for Gov. Gavin Newsom, President Joe Biden visited the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. He attributed an uptick in serious fires to global warming and said the country needs to invest in “climate resilience” and climate change agenda items in the $3.5 trillion infrastructure package currently in Congress.  Biden also promoted funding for the Defense Production Act, a wartime provision that he previously invoked to boost vaccine supplies. Biden activated it again in August to fund more fire hoses for the U.S. Forest Service.

What is the latest fire update? On Monday, the Dixie Fire was 67 percent contained after burning for two months. It had burned through 960,335 acres as of Sunday. If it continues to spread to a million acres, it will be categorized as a “gigafire.” The California Department of Fire and Forestry estimates Dixie has destroyed 1,329 buildings.  On Sunday, the Hopkins Fire broke out in Mendocino County in Northern California, prompting evacuation orders. As of Monday morning, it burned through 257 acres and was 20 percent contained.

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report in Compassion on inmates battling California wildfires.