Nearly nine times as many people have died in 2020 as a result of the fires, compared to lives lost in 2019.

At 7,982 incidents, the 2020 season has already yielded 122 more fires than was seen all of last year.ģ. As of Sunday, fires had burned more than 3.7 million acres in California, 26 times as many as burned in the same period last year, and 14 times as many as burned in the entirety of 2019.Ģ. Eight Facts About the 2020 Wildfire Seasonġ. David Hill, a voluntary medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association said. But with COVID circulating, having worse air quality might make it more likely for them to get infected and have worse disease with COVID-19,' Dr. 'So, certainly by itself, we'd be concerned. Smoke can weaken people's immune systems and cause respiratory illness, two experts told The Hill, which could increase susceptibility to the new coronavirus. Researchers from Stanford University estimated the smoke caused up to 3,000 deaths in the state and about 4,800 extra emergency room visits. The fires severely deteriorated air quality in the state and left toxic smoke hanging over California. The flames broke records and forced thousands of people to flee from their homes as the state tries to curb new coronavirus cases and recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.Īdding to the complexity of the 2020 wildfire season is the new coronavirus. The August Complex fire, one of many burning in the state, surpassed a 2018 blaze to become the largest fire in state history.Ī relatively mild 2019 wildfire season gave way to a deadly, destructive and intensely active 2020 season. Wildfires continue to rage in California this month, turning the sky orange and forcing residents to evacuate their homes.

California fire map 2018 live