Vegetation Types News Today

Different vegetation types and age classes that we wouldnt necessarily expect fire to spread through. and that is absolutely drought, climate change, dry fuel conditions that we just havent seen before. >> reporter: the chief also told me that people did heed those evacuation warnings around lake tahoe. which if you havent been out here, its a great tourist destination that people come to pretty much near round. during the summer months, they come to enjoy the lakes. and during the winter, they ...

Burning in northern california and working its way toward the nevada border. this is echo lake and right now firefighters are using it as a source of water to take up and fight the blazes that we can see here up in the mountainside. one thing that has made this fire very difficult to fight is the fact that so much of the terrain is very rugged. its very remote. its out there. also not all of this territory has seen fire. take a listen to the head of cal-fire explain to me how long its been since...

Areas with no fire history, over 100 years. two areas that have burned within the last 20 years, all of the above, and were seeing it burn through different vegetation types and age classes that we wouldnt necessarily expect fire to spread through, and that is absolutely drought, climate change, dry fuel conditions that we just havent seen before. >> so i checked in with cal fire again today to see if the imminent threat is gone. right now they are not as wore id about it, but its still an uncon...

Years. all of the above. and were seeing it burn through different vegetation types and age classes that we wouldnt necessarily expect fire to spread through. and that is absolutely drought, climate change, dry fuel conditions that we just havent seen before. >> california got a pledge of federal aid thanks to presidential emergency declaration. californias governor says the aid will supplement other funds and services to prevent further loss. >> it is loss. and i think that is really the story ...

Joining me is the director of cal fire and a professor of geography who has studied climate change and wildfires for decades, glen mcdonald. he was forced from his home but is now back and safe. thank you so much. ken, i grew up in kcalifornia. i grew up with the brush fires. i know a bit about them. can you distinguish for viewers between a forest fire and a brush fire and whats happening right now in northern california and down south. >> absolutely. california is made up of all kinds of diffe...