Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Report: California’s tree die-off reaches 147 million, boosting fire threat
Two years after California’s historic drought came to an end, the sweeping die-off of the state’s forests has slowed, yet vast tracts of dry, browning trees continue to amplify the threat of wildfire, federal officials reported Monday. About 18.6 million trees died in 2018, mainly the result of dehydration and beetle infestation, according to new estimates from the U.S. Forest Service. That pushes the total number of dead since 2010, shortly before the five-year drought began, to 147 million. It’s a toll not seen in modern times.
Related articles:
- CALMatters: What happens when the next big wildfire hits?
- Press-Enterprise: 18.6 million trees died in California in 2018, Forest Service survey finds
- Sacramento Bee: 18 million trees just died in California, continuing worries of major wildfires yet to come
- Los Angeles Times: 18 million trees died in California last year; officials say that’s an improvement