Judge the Following Sentence According to the Criteria Given Below

Multiple Choice

Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below: Californian mountain slopes burned by wildfires are not very susceptible to debris flows the following wet season BECAUSE scorched chaparral vegetation releases a waxy liquid that waterproofs the ground.

A) The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.
B) The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason is invalid.
C) The assertion is correct, but the reason is incorrect.
D) The assertion is incorrect, but the reason is correct.
E) Both the assertion and the reason are incorrect.