Major Forest Fire in Southern California
May 29, 2013
A wildfire in Los Padres National Forest in California’s Santa Barbara County had by the afternoon of May 28 burned across some 1,800 acres (730 hectares) in less than 24 hours. More than 550 firefighters–from the county, area cities, and U.S. Forest Service–continued to battle the so-called White Fire, which was 65 percent contained as of late last night, reported officials at the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.
A smoke jumper parachutes into a burning wildland area (place with land in its natural state) to fight a fire. Such firefighters are able to reach fires in remote areas that would be difficult to access by other means. (© Mike McMillan, Spotfire Images)
Southern California is in the middle of a drought, and the vegetation that is fueling the fire is extremely dry. In addition, the fire is being driven by winds of between 20 and 30 miles (32 and 48 kilometers) per hour. The National Weather Service was predicting continuing gusts of from 45 to 65 miles (72 and 105 kilometers) per hour. Officials estimate that from 2,000 to 3,000 people have evacuated the area since the fire broke out on the afternoon of May 27.
Additional World Book articles:
- When the Rain Stops (a special report)
- Why Forests Need to Burn (a special report)
