CALIFORNIA WILD FIRE

11/6/2019 (Permalink)

California Wild FIres

CALIFORNIA WILD FIRE

A wildfire erupted overnight in the hills above communities in Southern California's Ventura
County, forcing evacuations for thousands of people. 2019 wildfire season is the current-running fire
season in California. According to California Fire Data California has been almost 160, 000 burned than
last year. The Maria Fire ignited in the dry brush in Ventura County early Thursday evening and quickly
consumed thousands of acres, illuminating the contours of South Mountain in a smoky orange glow by
nightfall.
Power utilities have preemptively shut off power to over one million residents due to perceived risk of
wildfires starting in high winds due to high-voltage power lines. While large areas have been without
power for days, people in fire danger areas had trouble getting updates and critical life support
equipment would not work without backup power.
Thousands of children and elderly are rushed to the hospital with asthma attacks and respiratory illness
because of the smoke from the growing blazes leading to hazardous air quality throughout Southern
California. The blazes were among the many wildfires to explode in California during a period of
dangerous fire conditions. Those fires have burned more than 101,000 acres in three weeks.
Californians are becoming more accustomed to the impacts of a longer, stronger fire season due to
global heating, but they are also becoming exhausted. 10 million Southern Californians now living under
a massive smoke cloud to stay indoors with their windows and doors closed. This smoke hazard will last
for two-and-a-half weeks as the fire burns and the smoke lingers.
Weather conditions still may pose a problem, but they are improving. Red flag warnings — meaning
wind, humidity and other conditions are ripe for fires — have been extended for parts of Southern
California.
. “The damage would likely be massive, potentially dwarfing what we have seen recently.” According to
David Sapsis, a wildfire scientist. More likely in the near future given what scientists know about how
climate change will increase wildfire risk in California.
Climate models show that as temperatures continue to rise, the atmosphere and land in some regions,
like California’s forests, will grow more arid. This in turn will make shrubs and trees drier and more
flammable.