Newsom also approved nearly $1 billion in new spending to prevent wildfires, signaling a policy shift in a state that historically focused more on putting out fires than stopping them before they star

In areas with an over-accumulation of fuels, a combination of thinning small trees and clearing brush followed by controlled burning can be the most effective method to reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire

In June, Newsom and lawmakers tentatively agreed on a plan to spend over $450 million on wildfire prevention in the current fiscal year, and then earmark an additional half-billion dollars for next yea