US prepares for wildfire season

Name: US prepares for wildfire season
Uploaded: 2014-05-07T20:02:26Z
Duration: 2 min 32 s
Description: The US spends more than $2.5bn every year to fight wildfires, a bill that has grown six times since the nineties.

The US spends more than $2.5bn every year to fight wildfires, a bill that has grown six times since the nineties.

02:32

The US state of California is bracing for what is already shaping up to be a severe wildfire season.

A prolonged drought in the region has caused a 200 percent increase in fires this year.

The state has hired seasonal firefighters earlier than usual and its aerial firefighting fleet, the world’s largest, has had to adjust its maintenance routine to keep more planes and helicopters on regular standby.

The annual bill for fighting wildfires in the US has grown by six times since the 90s and has reached more than $2.5bn.

Al Jazeera’s Tom Ackerman reports from Auburn, California.

Source: Al Jazeera