California’s peak wildfire season has arrived, showing a more severe trend than the past five years. The wildfires are causing not only fatalities but also engulfing many areas in extreme heat and flames.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported the first wildfire fatality of the year on the afternoon of July 8. Near Covelo in northern California, an elderly woman tragically lost her life while trying to extinguish the fire.
“This wildfire season will be very active, bringing dangerous wildfire threats to many areas,” California Governor Gavin Newsom stated at a recent press conference. “California is prepared and will use the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet and new technology 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 with 148 structures damaged or destroyed. In comparison, at 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 instance, the Thompson Fire broke out in Oroville, California, on July 2, burning a total of 3,789 acres of land and prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents. To better combat the fire, Newsom declared a state of emergency for the entire county.
Recent high temperatures in California have made the wildfire situation even more complex. As of Sunday, several wildfires have rapidly spread and are difficult to contain.
The largest ongoing wildfire is the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, which has burned 38,523 acres of land since it started on July 5, threatening 794 structures and damaging 4 buildings. Multiple roads and a section of Highway 154 have been closed.
CAL Fire stated that over 3,400 personnel are working around the clock to extinguish the fires, with 6 firefighters injured in firefighting efforts. The containment rate of the Lake Fire is currently only at 19%, and residents in the area need to be prepared for possible evacuations.
On the morning of July 13, the Hurricane Fire broke out in San Luis Obispo County in central California. In less than 24 hours, the wildfire had burned 20,000 acres of land, making it the second-largest fire in California at the moment.
Due to the impact, neighboring Kern County Fire Department also issued evacuation warnings. Meanwhile, four wildfires are burning simultaneously in the county, including the Rancho Fire that burned nearly 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours.
The National Weather Service issued increased fire danger levels for Kern County due to persistent heatwaves fueling the burning of flammable materials like trees, making the fires more difficult to contain. As of Sunday afternoon, both the Hurricane Fire and the Rancho Fire had a 10% containment rate.
Apart from the aforementioned fires, wildfires have also occurred in Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County in Southern California.
Newsom noted that wildfire activity in California this year is significantly higher compared to recent years. The smoke from wildfires directly affects air quality.
The California Department of Public Health stated that wildfire smoke contains fine particles that can irritate the respiratory tract, affecting the lungs and heart when inhaled deeply. The threat of wildfire smoke and ash is particularly serious for pregnant women, children, the elderly, and individuals with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other chronic illnesses.
Officials recommend that individuals in these groups stay indoors as much as possible, closing all doors, windows, and vents if air quality is poor.