California’s peak wildfire season has arrived, showing a more severe trend than the past five years. Not only have wildfires caused fatalities, but many areas are also engulfed in extreme heat and raging fires.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported the first wildfire fatality this year on the afternoon of July 8. The sheriff’s office stated that an elderly woman tragically lost her life while trying to extinguish a wildfire near Covelo in Northern California.
“This wildfire season is going to be very active, bringing dangerous wildfire threats to many areas,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom in a recent press conference. “California is prepared and will use the world’s largest air tanker fleet and new technologies to help us fight fires more intelligently.”
According to data from CAL Fire, California has experienced over 3,700 wildfires so far this year, burning approximately 220,000 acres of land and damaging or destroying 148 structures. In comparison, this time last year, just over 10,000 acres had burned, with a five-year average of over 38,000 acres burned.
Some wildfires have forced many residents to evacuate. For example, the “Thompson Fire” erupted in Oroville, California on July 2, burning a total of 3,789 acres of land and leading to the evacuation of thousands of residents. To better combat the fire, Newsom declared a state of emergency for the entire county.
California has been experiencing prolonged heatwaves, making the wildfire situation even more complex. As of Sunday the 14th, several wildfires have rapidly spread and become uncontrollable.
The largest current wildfire is the “Lake Fire” in Santa Barbara County, which has burned 38,523 acres of land since it erupted on July 5, threatening 794 structures and damaging 4 buildings. Multiple roads and a section of Highway 154 have been closed off.
CAL Fire stated that over 3,400 personnel are working around the clock to contain the fires, with 6 firefighters injured in the firefighting efforts. The “Lake Fire” currently has a containment rate of only 19%, and residents in surrounding areas need to be prepared for possible evacuations.
On the morning of July 13, the “Hurricane Fire” erupted in San Luis Obispo County in Central California. In less than 24 hours, the wildfire had burned 20,000 acres of land, becoming the second-largest wildfire in California at the moment.
Due to this impact, Kern County Fire Department issued evacuation warnings. Simultaneously, four wildfires are burning in the county, especially the “Rancho Fire” which erupted on the afternoon of the 13th and burned nearly 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours.
The U.S. National Weather Service has warned of increased fire danger in Kern County due to continuous heatwaves fuelling the burning of flammable materials. As of Sunday afternoon, both the “Hurricane Fire” and “Rancho Fire” have a containment rate of 10%.
Apart from these wildfires, fires have also broken out in Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County in Southern California.
Newsom stated that wildfire activity in California this year has significantly increased compared to recent years. The smoke from wildfires has directly impacted air quality.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) stated that wildfire smoke contains fine particles that can irritate the respiratory system and affect the lungs and heart when inhaled deeply. Wildfire smoke and ash pose a severe threat to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and those with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma or COPD.
In case of poor air quality, officials recommend that vulnerable populations stay indoors, closing all doors, windows, and vents.