California wildfires are worst in its history
- Finn Plassmann
- Nov 28, 2020
- 2 min read
Since the beginning of the year, firefighters have had to fight the 8,200 fires, that have already destroyed well over 1.6 million hectares – that is more than the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut! The fires have caused 31 fatalities and have demolished 8,454 structures.
About 16,500 firefighters keep fighting the fires, but the warm temperatures and the low humidity complicate the containment.
The fires were caused by thunderstorms, dryness, a lack of rainfall and warmer temperatures. The climate change has a lot to do with it. Because climate gets warmer and drier, the forests are more vulnerable to wildfires.
The Santa Ana and Diablo winds are worsening the situation in California too.
“Fire, in some ways, is a very simple thing. As long as stuff is dry enough and there is a spark, then that stuff will burn,” said Park Williams, a bioclimatologist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
“In areas with abundant and very dry out fuels, all you need is a spark,” Williams said.
California is one of the states with abundant and dry fuel. Thunderstorms were “the spark” that caused this situation.
The Government of California has sent over 16,500 firefighters to control the fires, and many NGO’s are helping to fight the fire or to take care of the injured.
250,000 people had to be evacuated by firefighters or the California National Guard.
Many evacuated people steal in the evacuation zones. One of them even stole a wallet from a firefighter and took all of the money from it.
Wildfires are nothing new to the state, but they have never gotten this big before. The fires are breaking records, these fires have burned more hectares than any wildfires before them.
The second and third largest fire in the history – the SCU and LNU lightning complexes in Northern California - are still burning.
On September 6th, the highest temperature ever was recorded, 50 degrees Celsius in Los Angeles County.
The thick smoke and ash in the air are causing poor air quality too. In many areas, the quality of the air is hazardous.
The current wildfires in California are the worst ever, they are worsening the air quality, they have killed up to 31 people. So far, 16,500 firefighters have not been enough to stop the fires. They will kill more people and destroy much more land, unless they are contained.
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