Forest Fires damaging California

By Rashi Agarwal

The 2018 wildfire season has been the most destructive wildfire season on record
in California, with a total of 7,579 fires burning an area of 1,667,855 acres, the largest
amount of burned acreage recorded in a fire season. The fires have caused more than
$2.975 billion in damages, including $1.366 billion in fire suppression costs.
In mid-July to August 2018, a series of large wildfires erupted across California, mostly in the northern part of the state, including the destructive Carr Fire and the Mendocino Complex Fire. On August 4, 2018, a national disaster was declared in Northern California, due to the extensive wildfires burning there.

In November 2018, foehn winds caused another round of large, destructive fires to erupt across the state. This new batch of wildfires includes the Woolsey Fire and the Camp Fire, the latter of which killed at least 85 people and almost 500 still unaccounted for. It destroyed more than 10,000 structures, becoming both California deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record.

The fire began on Nov. 8 in the parched Sierra Nevada foothills and quickly spread across 240 square miles, destroying most of Paradise in a day. High temperatures, gusty winds and parched vegetation contributed to its rapid spread.

Nearly 19,000 buildings, most of them homes, are gone. As crews made incremental gains and Walmart parking lots became impromptu tent cities, the fire became the centre of a debate about global warming.

Fire-frazzled Northern California finally got some good news on Sunday, 25 th November. An epic blaze that ravaged the countryside, killed dozens and wiped out thousands of homes was 100% contained. A brief rain shower also helped in dousing off the fire. Even though the fire is contained, the nightmare is far from over for displaced residents, who face dangers as some prepare to see their homes for the first time in weeks.