The director of Cal Fire says he is planning to retire. In an announcement Monday, Thom Porter is confirming he will be leaving the head position of the state's wildfire-fighting agency by the end of the year. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Porter to head Cal Fire in January 2019 and has lead the agency through two of the most prolific wildfire seasons in the state's history. He says he will be going to San Diego to focus on family matters. Porter was director when two of the largest fires in the state history occurred: the August Complex fire, scorching more than 1 million acres in 2020 and the Dixie Fire in 2021 which burned more than 963,000 acres. He is native to San Diego and received a bachelor's degree in forestry from UC Berkeley. He first joined Cal Fire back in 1999.
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