Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster in a Central Texas county after a wildfire destroyed nine homes and sent dozens of people fleeing for their safety. The Hidden Pines Fire in Bastrop County, Texas, covers more than 4,000 acres and is only 15 percent contained. Meanwhile, a global insurance company has estimated California’s wildfires this summer caused nearly $2 billion in damages. The fires were among the worst in state history. Governor Jerry Brown has connected the fires to climate change and California’s historic drought, warning: “This is the future.”