"California’s Catastrophic Wildfires in 3 Charts"
by Isabella Isaacs-Thomas
The devastating wildfires tearing across California, Oregon, Washington and several other Western states are an increasingly familiar scene, as blazes have become larger and more destructive over the past several decades.
Seven of the top 10 most destructive fires in California’s history have occurred since 2015, and this year’s fires have already burned an unprecedented 3.1 million acres in that state so far, driven in part by lightning storms and an extreme heat wave.
The autumn winds that typically fuel the bulk of destruction during California’s wildfire season have already begun to blow, contributing to dangerous conditions like low humidity and dry vegetation that have helped fuel fires including the yet-uncontained August Complex, now the largest fire in California history.
Meanwhile, about 10 percent of Oregon’s population were placed under some level of evacuation notice last week, and although wildfires burned more slowly in that state over the weekend, smoke created unhealthy to hazardous air quality that is forcing residents across that state and the broader Pacific Northwest to stay inside. At least 35 deaths have been confirmed across California, Washington and Oregon, and officials have said the toll is expected to grow.
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Question
Use the article and the video to answer the question.
Investigators Say PG&E Failed to Regularly Inspect Aging Equipment_Transcript
Compared to the video, which detail is emphasized in the article?
(1 point)
Responses
the role of utility companies in environmental damage
the role of utility companies in environmental damage
the impact of a specific devastating wildfire
the impact of a specific devastating wildfire
the importance of environmental legislation
the importance of environmental legislation
the cumulation of wildfires over several years
the cumulation of wildfires over several years
The cumulation of wildfires over several years
"California’s Catastrophic Wildfires in 3 Charts"
by Isabella Isaacs-Thomas
Inadequate maintenance is partly to blame, courts have found. According to The New York Times, PG&E’s electrical network — which serves approximately 16 million people in Central and Northern California — has been linked to multiple destructive fires, and regulators have determined that the company “violated state law or could have done more to make its equipment safer” in several cases.
Power grids have also expanded to accommodate growing communities in the state, creating more opportunity for disaster. Keeley emphasized that California’s population has grown by 6 million since the year 2000.
“That 6 million increase in population means more people pushed out into areas of urban sprawl, of dangerous fuels, increased ignition sources, increased potential for people getting killed, an increase in the electric grid,” Keeley said. “So if there’s anything that can explain the increase in fires in the last 20 years, my feeling is it’s population growth.”
In addition to infrastructural issues like power grids, mitigating human error on an individual level is key to preventing future disaster. That’s why one of CalFire’s goals is to educate as many Californians as possible about how wildfires work, what causes them and the fact that they can affect communities in any part of the state — urban, rural or anything in between.
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Question
Use the passage and the video to answer the question.
Investigators Say PG&E Failed to Regularly Inspect Aging Equipment_Transcript
How does the tone at the end of the video compare to the tone of the end of the article?
(1 point)
Responses
Unlike the article, the tone of the video is angry as it places blame on the utility company.
Unlike the article, the tone of the video is angry as it places blame on the utility company.
Unlike the article, the tone of the video is optimistic as it offers human solutions to wildfires.
Unlike the article, the tone of the video is optimistic as it offers human solutions to wildfires.
Like the article, the tone of the video is hopeful as it presents changes to the utility company.
Like the article, the tone of the video is hopeful as it presents changes to the utility company.
Like the article, the tone of the video is reserved as it questions the human impact on the environment.
Like the article, the tone of the video is reserved as it questions the human impact on the environment.
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