Gov. Gavin Newsom says California has completed 34 of the forest thinning projects it rushed to finish in the past year as a way to buffer 200 communities at high risk from wildfires.
His office says two of the projects helped protect Santa Barbara residents during a fire before Thanksgiving. His administration expedited 35 projects in the wake of catastrophic wildfires that devastated communities, including one that nearly leveled the Northern California town of Paradise. Newsom was expected to discuss the projects and other wildfire-related issues, including the future of the state's largest electric utility, during a public interview Wednesday.