·

California fires: 8 killed, 880+ structures destroyed and more than 37 000 people evacuated

california-fires-6-killed-880-structures-destroyed-and-more-than-37-000-people-evacuated

California Governor Jerry Brown issued emergency proclamations for Riverside, Mariposa, Shasta, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties over the past couple of days after raging wildfires claimed lives of 8 people, forced more than 37 000 to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of homes. 12 people are still missing.

The Carr Fire in Shasta County, currently the largest in the state, began July 23 when a vehicle suffered mechanical failure and has so far scorched 38 594 hectares (95 368 acres) of land. By late July 29 (local time), the fire was 17% contained, up from just 5% earlier in the day.

It has so far destroyed 874 structures, 657 of them homes, and damaged 175. Six people have been killed and 12 remain missing.

A total of 38 000 people have been evacuated from the county.

YouTube video

YouTube video

YouTube video

Extreme fire conditions continued Sunday while firefighters worked to build control lines. Shifting winds, dry fuels, and steep drainages contributed to rapid growth. Red Flag Warning and heat advisory are in effect for the area through Monday, July 30, 08:00 local time. Crews will continue to asses the number of damaged structures as conditions allow, CalFire said.

There are more than 3 300 firefighters battling the flames with more than 330 engines and 17 helicopters.

The Carr is the largest of eight big fires burning in California, and 90 across the country,

Some experts say this has been the worst start to the fire season in 10 years, partly due to a severe drought that killed off large amounts of vegetation since 2012.

"Much of the state's vegetation reached 'explosively dry' levels," UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said.

Featured image credit: CalFire

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

2 Comments

  1. At Isaiah 28:21-28 God called this time of great destruction a strange work. Those fires we’re strange indeed to see that the dry trees around those houses did not Burne but yet the houses did. I wonder if the fire men are also keeping it secret that warter also makes the fire sometimes Burne worst instead of putting it out, as it read in the Apocryphal book called Wisdom. Act 7:5-7

Leave a Reply to Kenneth Cash Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *