We’re just a week and a day into the month of September– one of the worst fire months of fire season, in addition to October. As the most destructive fire months set in, sadly, our state has had already 2.2 million acres burned, making our outlook here in California pretty grim.
Power outages are now in full swing in various parts of California as local state utility companies grapple to keep up with demand, putting massive pressure on our utility grid. Utility companies are asking customers to limit their usage, but it’s not easy during heatwaves for many to limit air-conditioning usage, for example. According to a CalFire report, the 2.2 million acres burned are from 25 different wildfires that were ignited by mostly lightening strikes. For reference, In 2018, 1.89 million acres burned, and in 2019, 118,000 acres burned in our state. This year is breaking records, and the fire season isn’t even over.
“Historic is a term we seemingly often use here in the state of California, but these numbers bear fruit to that assertion, that this is historic,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news briefing today. “This is the largest fire season we’ve had in terms of total acreage.”
The wildfires make matters worse for our state, as people typically want to crank up their air conditioning to escape from the extreme heat and smoke outside, putting additional pressure on the grid. Perhaps the best way Californians can do their part is to add solar and storage to their homes. Thanks to California’s SGIP rebates, customers who live in high fire zones, amongst other qualifiers can get storage for little to no cost.