California Wildfires Bring On ‘Catastrophic’ Year for Ranchers
- Ranchers lose livestock as federal and state lands burn
- Most agricultural products in the state remain largely intact
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As California’s wildfires spread across more than 4 million acres in the state, cattle ranchers have been among the most vulnerable parts of the agriculture industry.
The fires have ripped through national forests used for grazing, killing cattle and destroying parts of the 38 million acres of rangeland, more than a third of the state, managed by ranchers. As the Creek and Zogg fires ravage the Sierra and Mendicino national forests, ranchers have struggled to evacuate areas threatened by fire and smoke, with many producers unable to get into evacuation areas to rescue their livestock.