Red skies, black smoke and ashes cover California as a result of the devastating wildfires. Although California has wildfires each year, authorities are saying this is the deadliest fire season in California history.
Three massive fires are burning through the state: The Camp Fire, The Woolsey Fire and The Hill Fire. The Camp Fire decimated the city of Paradise–burning the entire town to the ground. Many of the nearly 1000 people missing and feared dead are from that area. As of Saturday, November 17th, there are more than 70 dead and 1,100 still missing.
Credit: fire.ca.gov
Credit: fire.ca.gov
At IU, students from California have family that are in between the flames. Jacob Jenkinson, IU grad student, is from Redding, California which is about an hour away from The Camp Fire. His uncle’s house burned completely to the ground in the Carr wildfire.
“They had basically half an hour to send someone in and get whatever they want from their house that they thought was valuable, then get out of there before the fire spreads,” Jenkinson said. “They barely got anything and they lost everything else.”
As the fires rage, Jenkinson says he is keeping his plans to visit home for Thanksgiving and see his family. He says he’s worried his flight will get delayed or even cancelled due to the smoky conditions there. However, he says wildfires are just a normal part of living in California.
“It’s a bit worrisome, but at the same time you have faith in the people who are down there controlling it,” Jenkinson said.
He says it’s tough but he thanks Cal Fire for constantly doing their best to prevent and control these fires. Wildfires and earthquakes are common fears while living in California he says.
“Our cities are burning down, I mean Paradise is now gone due to this most recent fire,” Jenkinson said. “I mean it’s just kind of something you deal with, but this year it’s been worse than ever.”
Credit: Jacob Jenkinson
Credit: Jacob Jenkinson
Credit: Jacob Jenkinson
Credit: Jacob Jenkinson
Credit: Jacob Jenkinson
Cal Fire says there is a Red Flag alert for the entire state due to the weather conditions fueling these fires. Their website provides an interactive map which allows users to follow updates on each wildfire going on in California.
The Camp Fire spans 140,000 acres right now, that’s more than 11 times the size of the city of Bloomington. Cal Fire’s website says the fire has destroyed 10,321 structures(homes, buildings, etc.) and is roughly 40% contained. NBC News provides a visual comparison where you can view a map of The Camp Fire over a map of your city.
Credit: CNN Newsource
Credit: CNN Newsource
Credit: CNN Newsource
The wildfires are caused in part by the dry California climate. The trees and brush become extremely flammable. Ecologist and IU rural land policy professor, Christopher Craft, says the fires are natural part of their ecosystem.
“They describe California wildfires this fall as the new normal–abnormal,” Craft said.”There’s always been fire but it seems like a dryer longer summer is leading to dryer conditions in the fall.
Craft says the seasons are getting warmer and warmer. He blames global warming and he says it’s only going to get worse.
“Fire is a natural part of the ecosystem and it helps maintain the vegetation in the state that it is now,” Craft said. “The ecosystems bounce back when the fire goes away, plants they re-sprout, but people put fixed hard structures in these places that when you have a fire they’re not going to bounce back.”
He says wildfires are a part of replenishing the environmental structures California has, however, when the land is covered in homes and building this isn’t beneficial. The state has lost thousands of homes, forests and land and it will take years to rebuild.
For more information and updates on the California wildfires, visit the Cal Fire website.
