million trees died off. fast forward a few years. numbers show the combination of record dry weather and destructive bark beetles have killed off 29 million trees across california. that's almost 10 times the tree fuel still left to burn. >> it's sad. it's just sad. >> reporter: in auburn, recent rains have made way for lush green hillsides. but look closely. you'll find pockets of brown trees. just compare it with this rusty view in fresno county. cal fire says the tree die-off continues to move north. >> further in to amador county, el dorado county and placer counties. we'll continue to work with those counties to start moving resources here as well to make sure we can provide those that help with the homeowner. >> reporter: the spokesman says it's a race against time to get to the trees before they become more dangerous. >> this is not just a fire threat. this is a public safety threat on a very large scale. >> cal trans crews have been aggressively removing these dead trees and clearing them from the