Dry vegetation, stifling heat, gusty winds, and low humidity are fueling wildfires in California, with at least 21 blazes currently active across the state.
The Lake Fire near the Los Padres National Forest has already scorched over 13,000 acres and remains at zero percent containment as of Monday morning, according to CalFire.
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Santa Barbara County fire captain Scott Safechuck mentioned that they have deployed three helicopters and 10 air tankers as crews work to contain the flames. However, the challenging terrain along with the intense heat across the Western U.S. has made firefighting efforts difficult.
With a triple-digit heat wave ongoing, fire officials stress having an emergency plan: know where to go, what to bring, & how to keep phones charged. Activate reverse 911, have a backup route, plan for family & pets, and prepare a kit with essentials. Visit https://t.co/sWZPoZLdhV. https://t.co/gpJNCf0XVE
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) July 7, 2024
“The terrain is steep and hard to access,” said Safechuck, pointing towards a burning hillside. “We have hand crews hiking those hills, laying hoses, and utilizing aircraft to extinguish the fire.”
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation orders due to strong winds fueling the flames. Local residents, like Joy Chamberlain, have observed the fire approaching their homes, feeling the situation is out of control.
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In Butte County, north of Sacramento, more than 30,000 individuals have been evacuated due to the Thompson Fire. This blaze has consumed over 3,700 acres, and around 1,700 firefighters are battling the fire in scorching triple-digit temperatures, with containment now exceeding 95%.
This summer has seen an unusually active wildfire season in California. CalFire reports that over 150,000 acres have burned in the state thus far this year, a significant increase from the 8,000 acres burned at the same time last year.
