Fires continue to rage in California and elsewhere in the U.S., but one in particular has hit hundreds of acres of avocados. John Krist, CEO of Ventura County Farm Bureau in California, said in a member alert that by his “rough estimate, several hundred acres of avocado groves” were damaged in one part of the region, and “it’s probable that many more acres, and possibly other ranch homes and structures, were damaged” elsewhere. Berries, citrus, and vegetable operations were also impacted by smoke and ash from the fires as well as high winds blowing produce to the ground and power outages that disrupted pumping and irrigation systems. In total, the latest batch of California fires has burned more than 250,000 acres, adding to a fire season that has caused more than $10 billion in damages in California alone. Nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since the latest round of fires started. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue briefed President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on the fires over lunch on Monday, and a press official with the White House says the administration "continues to closely monitor the situation." Trump last Friday declared a federal state of emergency in California.
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