California Fire Prompts Evacuation

Image copyright: The Record Searchlight/AP [via NPR]

The Facts

  • On Sat., fire officials in Weed, California, said that a raging wildfire sweeping through the rural community has destroyed at least 100 homes and other buildings, injured at least two, and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

  • The blaze, labeled the Mill Fire, began on Fri. and quickly blew through a neighborhood in Weed with a community of 2.6k people, before raging on outside of the town. As of Sat. morning, the fire is reportedly around 20% contained.


The Spin

Narrative A

This is the latest in a pattern of catastrophic California fires and signals the increasing urgency of climate change. Every-increasing temperature - which isn't unique to just California - is putting everyone at risk; something must be done.

Narrative B

It's easy to dismiss any extreme weather event as a consequence of climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with it. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.