The Park Fire tearing across Northern California is destroying homes and burning up land – and its destruction is only part of a far larger problem this year. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said this week that as of Tuesday, wildfire activity is 2,816% higher than last year for the same time period.
“As of July 30, 2024, wildfires have scorched a staggering 751,327 acres across our state,” Cal Fire wrote on social media on Wednesday. “This year’s wildfire activity is 2,816% higher than last year, 29 times the amount of acreage burned.”
This year’s fires are far above both last year’s numbers and the five-year average, the department found. In 2023, there were 3,746 fires burning 25,763 acres through July 30, while the five-year average for the period is 4,416 fires and 140,996 acres.
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The Park Fire tearing across Northern California is destroying homes and burning up land – and its destruction is only part of a far larger problem this year. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said this week that as of Tuesday, wildfire activity is 2,816% higher than last year for the same time period.
“As of July 30, 2024, wildfires have scorched a staggering 751,327 acres across our state,” Cal Fire wrote on social media on Wednesday. “This year’s wildfire activity is 2,816% higher than last year, 29 times the amount of acreage burned.”
This year’s fires are far above both last year’s numbers and the five-year average, the department found. In 2023, there were 3,746 fires burning 25,763 acres through July 30, while the five-year average for the period is 4,416 fires and 140,996 acres.
**Read more:** [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-wildfire-activity-2816-higher-this-year-park-fire-one-of-the-largest-state-history/](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-wildfire-activity-2816-higher-this-year-park-fire-one-of-the-largest-state-history/)