Each section of the United States is known to be affected by specific natural disasters, with the East Coast and South suffering from hurricanes, the Midwest experiencing tornadoes, and the West Coast being extra susceptible to earthquakes. However, with the continuation of the drought in California as well as increases in temperature due to climate change, the state has been devastated over the past few years by wildfires, with more and more sparking now in the summer and fall months.
Regions of Northern California, including Contra Costa County and Alameda County in the Bay Area, have seen an increase in fires beginning in the hills and spreading down into housing communities, with firefighters tirelessly working all day and night trying to contain them before they pose a danger to the nearby populations. In Port Costa, the “Phoenix Fire” tragically burned over 120 acres of land, leading to forced evacuations as fires spread from vegetation and began to pose an immediate threat to homes, as reported by CalFire. Luckily for the majority of residents in Alameda County, the fires have remained miles away from most houses or buildings, such as the “Canyon Fire” affecting Sunol and Pleasanton, in which only those with hilltop homes have been evacuated.
Further north in Butte County, an evacuation order has luckily been lifted as hardworking firefighters stopped the progression of this vegetation fire before it spread to homes. While there has not been any major harm done so far with these mid-summer California fires, it is important for those in susceptible areas to be prepared to pack up and head to the coast at a moment’s notice, with CalFire suggesting that you have important documents and N95 masks easily accessible in your home if the time comes to evacuate. Over 2.5 million acres of land was burned in California last year due to wildfires, with thousands of structures destroyed and 3 people killed, so it is crucial for Californians to pay attention to local news in order to stay safe and avoid catastrophe.
