Wildfires in California Force Evacuations
September 16
Three of 11 wildfires—the Boles, Courtney, and King fires—burning in drought-stricken California have caused thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. More than 150 structures have been destroyed by the wildfires in the last few days.
A map from the U.S. Drought Mitigation Center shows how extensive the drought is in California (dark red-brown represents extreme drought on the map). Drought has been a contributing factor in the nearly 5,000 wildfires that have burned in the state through mid-September in 2014. This figure represents 1,000 more fires than occur on average in a year, and September and October are the peak months for California wildfires. (Copyright 2014 National Drought Mitigation Center)
The severe drought afflicting California began in January 2012. Currently, 80 percent of the state is affected by extreme drought, characterized by widespread water shortages and restrictions and major loss of agricultural crops. The drought also means that grass and foliage in the state are extremely dry.
Unusually high temperatures—record-high, triple-digit temperatures— began in California on September 12. Yesterday, very high winds created the perfect conditions for raging wildfires. The winds spread the burning embers much faster than firefighters could extinguish them.
In the last 24 hours, the Boles wildfire in northern California destroyed 100 homes in the small town of Weed and caused at least 1,500 to evacuate. Some 300 acres (121 hectares) surrounding the town were burned. The interstate running through Weed was closed for a time and power to the town was knocked out.
Courtney and King fires in central California led to hundreds more evacuations on the same day. The King fire burned over 8,600 acres (3,480 hectares) by today. The Courtney fire has also burned over 300 acres.
Temperatures are predicted to drop in California by this weekend, but the ferocity and number of wildfires this week have strained fire departments across the state.
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