Some of the largest wildfires on record are burning across northern California and the governor is desperate for help. The Los Angeles Times reports;
“These fires again are stretching our resources, our personnel,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a Friday media briefing.
”About 96% of the fire engines with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are already committed to wildfires, with little in the way of local assistance. Oregon, Arizona and Washington have all sent firefighters and equipment to help, and there’s a pending request with Australia for their fire crews, Newsom said.”
The fires in California cover a collective 771,000 acres — larger than the size of Rhode Island. https://t.co/q5RuVRb4jf
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 22, 2020
More than 60,000 residents have been evacuated across the state.
Harrowing footage shows people fleeing their homes in Winters, California, as massive wildfire that started in Napa County spread east overnight.
Tens of thousands of people across the state have been ordered to evacuate their homes because of wildfires. https://t.co/i1YupHOiGB pic.twitter.com/ZZ1GKF73fd
— ABC News (@ABC) August 21, 2020
The New York Times reports:
Even as the fires grow further, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office warned that there could be more dry thunderstorms this weekend, potentially bringing a dangerous combination of lightning and wind to an already-burning region. Many of the current fires were ignited during an extraordinary period of more than 12,000 lightning strikes last weekend, what fire officials have called a “lightning siege.”
Timelapse footage captured a severe tropical storm that battered parts of northern California, as lightning illuminated the sky over Pacifica and officials issued a red flag fire warning. https://t.co/99IKWmmAyG pic.twitter.com/WGm8LZ9dxj
— ABC News (@ABC) August 19, 2020
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