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Wildfires Strike Again

A series of blazes hit Southern California just months after the state suffered the most devastating fires in its history 

December 7, 2017
By Jacob Batchelor
Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The fire reached the northbound 101 freeway in Ventura, California, on December 6. 

Major wildfires broke out in parts of Southern California on Monday, December 4. Over the next few days, dozens of schools in Los Angeles and Ventura County closed. Thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate their homes as the fires spread. So far hundreds of homes have been destroyed—and the fires continue to burn across the area.

The fires spread quickly. By mid-morning on Wednesday, California Governor Jerry Brown had ordered a state of emergency. State officials dispatched more than 1,700 firefighters to battle one of the largest blazes, which had swelled to more than 50,000 acres. That’s more than three times the size of Manhattan in New York City. But despite their efforts, by Thursday morning the fire had nearly doubled in size to 100,000 acres.

The destructive blazes come just two months after record-breaking wildfires tore through Northern California, destroying thousands of homes and killing more than 40 people. 

Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Jeff Lipscomb and his daughter Rachel, 11, stand over where her room used to be on December 6, 2017, in Ventura, California.    

FANNING THE FLAMES

Wildfires are relatively common in California. However, they aren’t typically sparked this late in the year. Winter weather patterns usually bring more rain than has fallen. “We’ve not had meaningful rainfall across southern California since March,” says Tom Rolinski, a senior meteorologist at the U.S. Forest Service in California. “We usually get enough rain to mitigate [reduce the seriousness of] the fire potential.”

Adding to the danger are the Santa Ana winds—high-speed winds that blow through the region each winter. Wind gusts have reached up to 128 kilometers (80 miles) per hour. These powerful winds have fanned the wildfires’ flames, causing them to spread more quickly. 

DANGEROUS SITUATION

The combination of dry conditions and strong winds is proving dangerous. “Our job is to forecast the likelihood of fires starting and spreading in certain areas,” says Rolinski. He says there will continue to be an extreme risk of more fire through Friday the 8th.

Four major wildfires continue to spread. In the near term, they’re expected to intensify with little chances of containment. The smallest fire, currently covering 475 acres, threatens parts of the heavy populated city of Los Angeles—home to nearly 4 million people. 

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