California residents should start expecting major wildfires to break out throughout the year, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said on Sunday.
"This is not the new normal, this is the new abnormal," he said. "And this abnormal will continue certainly in the next 10 to 15 to 20 years. Unfortunately, the best science is telling us that dryness, warmth, drought, all those things, they're going to intensify. We have a real challenge here threatening our whole way of life, so we've got to pull together."
There are several fires burning in both Northern and Southern California, with thousands of firefighters, including many from as far away as Idaho and Montana, battling the blazes. The fires have killed at least 31 people, destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, and burned nearly 200,000 acres.
Brown said when the vegetation and air is dry and winds hit gusts of up to 60 miles an hour, "this is what happens. We're in a new abnormal. Things like this will be a part of our future."