Apple pledges additional donations to West Coast wildfire relief

Apple is donating additional funds toward wildfire fighting and recovery efforts on the West Coast, CEO Tim Cook said Friday.

In August, the Cupertino tech giant pledged to donate to wildfire relief efforts in California. While those original flames have largely been contained, more fires have started up and down the West Coast during what is one of the worst fire seasons in history.

Cook in a tweet said that Apple would be providing more money to firefighting and recovery, and that the fires are "an urgent reminder that we must act together to protect the plane we all share."

States such as California, Oregon, and Washington are in the midst of battling nearly 100 different wildfires. According to The New York Times, at least seven people have died and more than 2.5 million acres have burned in California this year.

In Washington, more acres were burned this fire season than the past 12 seasons combined. The fires in California have marked a season worse than any other since records have been kept.

Wildfire season in California typically starts in July and can last through November — a period when hot and dry winds can exacerbate fire conditions and snarl containment efforts. This year, residents in West Coast states are also facing record-breaking heat and the coronavirus.

This is not the first time that Apple has donated to wildfire relief efforts. In 2017, the company pledged $1 million plus matched employee contributions for California fires. The company also donated funds to brush fire relief in Australia earlier in 2020.