Wildfires swept through Central and Coastal California earlier this week and the severe drought conditions aren’t helping this prolonged fire season.
CBS News reported fires engulfing buildings, burning homes, climbing mountainsides, and forcing evacuations across the state.
"The lack of rain and the unseasonably dry conditions . . . make fire conditions just as bad as in the middle of fire season," said Scott Bahrenfuss of the Rio Vista Fire Department.
On Kimball Island, what began as a 10-foot brush fire sparked into a 40-acre wildfire as intense wind speeds picked up. In Southern California, a 2-acre fire damaged two homes, two mobile homes, three motor homes, 40 vehicles, and roughly a dozen structures.
Other areas left fire fighters scrambling to fight off the flames encroaching on some homes, while others were left to burn. As the fires spread, many residents were forced to abandon their homes, including the 15 people on Kimball Island.
Check out CBS News’ newscast:
With the extremely arid conditions in California, people should be extra careful with how they use fire. Simple actions such as flicking a cigarette butt out a car window or lighting a small campfire could start a rapid wildfire the sparks hit dry grass.
To read more about the fires in Southern California, check out the following articles:
