California Battles Deadly Wildfires
Firefighters are still struggling to contain wildfires that are raging across Northern California. So far, nearly 6,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed, and 41 people killed, in what is being called the deadliest wildfire outbreak in the state’s history.
How It Started
Huge Flames From California Wildfire
The fires began over a week ago, on the night of Sunday, October 8. The cause of the fires is still under investigation. The following weekend, however, they were drastically spread by high winds reaching up to 70 mph. Now, over 221,000 acres of land have been destroyed, and over 100,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes.
Though no one knows yet how the fires began, authorities are facing criticism for not notifying people quickly enough that about the impending danger. For example, Sonoma County law enforcement officials chose not to send out a countywide text alert, for fear that it would incite panic and clog the roadways as people rushed to escape.
The Worst Impact
Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa counties have been the hardest hit by the fires. In Sonoma County alone, 22 people are confirmed dead, and 235 have been reported missing. Nine people have been killed by the blaze in Mendocino County, and six in Napa County, with 74 people still missing. Most of the dead have been elderly, probably because elderly people often have mobility issues that can impact their ability to evacuate quickly.
In the town of Santa Rosa, which is the seat of Sonoma County, nearly 3,000 residences have been destroyed, with an estimated $1.2 billion in damages. Especially devastating is the loss of the Santa Rosa home of Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip “Peanuts.” Schulz died in 2000, but his 78-year-old widow had to be evacuated. Many pieces of memorabilia were lost when the home burned to the ground shortly after her evacuation.
Currently, about 34,000 Californians are without electricity, and 47,000 without natural gas, mostly in Sonoma and Napa counties. It is estimated that Sonoma County alone faces up to $3 billion in damages.
A Glimmer of Hope
In the past week, air tankers have dropped more than two million gallons of flame retardant on the ground. Over 11,000 firefighters have been working tirelessly, sometimes without reinforcements, to combat the blaze, despite exhaustion and high winds working against them. And their efforts are slowly but surely beginning to pay off. As of Monday evening, more than 14 fires are still actively burning, though several in Sonoma and Napa counties are now 50 percent contained. Some of the 100,000 evacuees are being allowed to return home, to sift through the rubble for what is left of their belongings. Weather forecasters expect winds to die down, and are even calling for rain on Thursday, which will go a long way toward finally stopping these deadly fires. Even so, authorities stress that even though the worst may be over, the situation is still very dangerous.