On Nov. 8, 2018, a fire started on the edge of Plumas National Forest, located in southern California around 2:30 p.m. The fire was not controlled fast enough and began to get out of control, turning into a wildfire; the fire incident is referred to as Woolsey Fire.
The incident has currently affected Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, West Hills, Simi Valley, Chatsworth, Bell Canyon, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Calabasas, according to CDF Data Fire incident update.
The incident type is classified as a vegetation fire, meaning the fire is fed from the surroundings of things such as grass, trees and other brush. However, the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
The size has reached a staggering 96,949 acres, claiming three lives and an unknown amount of animal life as well. CDF Data Fire update stated there has been 70 fire engines, two water tenders, six helicopters, nine hand crews and nine dozers assigned to help contain the fire. The total amount of personnel assigned to the task is 1,086.
Another fire started the same day at 6:29 a.m., in the town of Pulga, California which is known as Camp Fire. Like the Woolsey fire, Camp Fire is a vegetation fire and under investigation as the cause of the fire is still unknown.
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“There have been thousands of homes completely burned down, causing many families to be homeless. For some there was little notice to evacuate, meaning people were unprepared and unable to pack belongings.”
The size is larger than the Woolsey fire, coming to a current total of 151,373 acres. There is a record of 79 victims and three firefighters injured, stated the CDF Data incident update. There are currently 597 fire engines, 65 water tenders, 28 helicopters, 100 crews, 83 dozers and a total of 5,332 personnel assigned to help contain the fire.
The fires have already destroyed the entire town of Paradise, located in Butte County. It is reported that more than 7,600 buildings and houses have been burned down, along with several casualties. The two wildfires have been severely devastating for the state; however, these fires are not unusual for California.
“California has a fire season every year. Just as the Southeast has hurricane season, we have a fire season. Fire season typically begins in May and lasts until late fall. The fires can start in a number of ways from human error to downed power lines that spark dry vegetation,” informed Tamika Clark, the director of Saint Leo University San Diego Center.
Clark also added that after the fire season ends, California goes through a rainy season from the months of December to March.
On Nov. 12, the White House announced they have approved California’s request to pronounce the wildfire as a Presidential Major Declaration; the request was approved within 24 hours of the state of California making the request. According to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, this declaration allows people affected by the disaster to be eligible for several support services, such as crisis counseling, housing and unemployment assistance and legal services.
The official declaration also allows public assistance to help with emergency response and recovery for the state, tribal, and local government. Damaged buildings, roads, bridges and other places of business are also included within the public assistance help.
Fire rescues from all across the state are joining together to help the safety and response time of Butte County. California is using their current resources of human and canine skills to search for missing people, as a result of the rapid pace the wildfire overtook buildings and homes.
Due to the large amounts of smoke emitting from Camp Fire, there is currently a state of red for the air quality in certain regions of California. “Red” means the air quality is unhealthy for everyone and there should be extensive measures taken if one chooses to go outdoors, stated San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.
It is advised to those living around San Francisco to wear N95 masks for adequate safety.
Those who live in these areas should look out for symptoms of shortness of breath and coughing, as these can be signs they are negatively affected by the unhealthy air toxins. It is extremely important for people who have existing health issues, such as asthma and heart disease, to have a medical action plan in place.
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“Firefighters from across California are coming together in attempts to save lives; human and animal. There are many searches going on in areas that have been contained for missing people who have not been accounted for yet.”
Air Now stated that the cities of Concord, Sacramento, Lehigh Valley, Oakland and San Francisco have the worst air quality. They are all currently between a 151-200 AQI, meaning everyone exposed to it may begin to experience health issues. It is crucial for sensitive groups to take extreme measures to stay safe.
“Our air quality here is at a moderate level right now. What that means is that the air quality is acceptable for everyone except a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution,” stated Clark. “The air quality for most of the state is good except for northern California. It looks like the areas near Sacramento and San Francisco are really bad. That extends down to Fresno.”
There were also other smaller fire incidents around the same time each claiming a few hundred acres of land. However, the County of Los Angeles stated the two fire occurrences combined, Woolsey and Camp Fire, is the worst wildfire incident in the state’s recorded history.
The County of Los Angeles’ website gives helpful information on disaster assistance centers, road closures and repopulations. There are also quick links for those looking for information about things such as air quality, FEMA housing, public safety and health and donations.
Clark mentioned she and other San Diego center staff have donated gently used household items to one of their colleagues who lives near where the Woolsey fire is located. However, at this time, there has been no other students or faculty that have been affected by the fires, reported Clark.
“Living in California, we are fortunate that we do not have many natural disasters. We have not had to advise or help students/faculty in this type of situation [wild fire destruction],” stated Clark.
Currently, the San Diego center is more than 150 miles away from the nearest fire, informed Clark. The nearest fire to them is the Woolsey fire, which is near Los Angeles. They are even further away from the Camp Fire which has unfortunately devastated the entire town of Paradise.
It is estimated that Woolsey Fire will be fully contained by Nov. 22, and Camp Fire will be fully contained by Nov. 30, according to the LA Fire Data Base.
