'The worst is not behind us.' Firefighters in California are racing to slow the spread of wildfires that have burned nearly one million acres in a week and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Firefighter Jeremy Damon of the Nevada Yuba Placer Fire Dept. monitors a controlled burn in the backyard of a home in front of the advancing CZU August Lightning Complex Fire Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif.
Two clusters of wildfires in the San Francisco Bay Area broke old records to become the second- and third-largest wildfires in recent state history by size.Light winds, cooler and more humid nighttime weather helped fire crews make a bit of progress, but their efforts could be hurt by warm, dry weather, erratic wind gusts and lightning in the forecast, state fire officials said.
Since thousands of lightning strikes began on Aug. 15, the state responded to 585 wildfires that have burned nearly a million acres, or 1,562 square miles , according to CalFire. The fires have killed five people, torched nearly 700 homes and other structures and forced tens of thousands from their houses.
By Friday, the approximately 13,700 firefighters on the line began to get help on the ground and in the air from 10 states, along with the National Guard and U.S. military.Those fires were a top priority. But in a sign of how overburdened the state’s firefighting agency is, fire officials said only 1,400 firefighters were assigned to battle the LNU Lightning Complex fire in wine country, which was only 15% contained.
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