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Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) spent much of early 2025 claiming to be cutting bureaucratic barriers to the rebuilding of homes lost to wildfires. But out of the thousands of homes destroyed in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, a Politico report in April found that 15 months after the blazes, just 34 had been rebuilt. Now a similar Newsom failure to make good on pledges to overcome state bureaucracy and quickly reduce fire risk could have deadly
consequences. Amy Graff reported last week for the New York Times: The landscape across California has begun its annual transition into tinderbox season, as temperatures warm, rain becomes scarce and vegetation dries out. The arrival of summer brings with it a common worry: What will the fires do this year? Peak wildfire season is already in full
swing in the southern part of the state, where several fires have led to brief evacuations in recent weeks. Throughout the rest of June, the threat of fires is expected to spread into Northern California and to intensify across the state. Frances Wang of ABC television station KGO in San Francisco warns today: The Bay Area is under its first Red Flag Warning since late 2024, as a combination of hot temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions raises concerns about rapid wildfire spread.
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