Just this past year, it has been estimated that there have been 47,057 wildfires across California, and around 6.5 million acres were burned in October alone, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The absurd amount of fires currently burning are forcing people to evacuate their homes, many of which are being burned to the ground. (https://www.fire.ca.gov/). 

The Dixie Fire burning in Butte Country, Northern California, is said to be the second largest fire recorded in California history and is currently the state’s largest single wildfire. So far, it has burned 963,195 acres and destroyed nearly 900 buildings. The operation to fully contain this blazing fire is also said to be the most expensive suppression campaign in California history. Thousands of workers and other personnel who have been deployed are risking their lives and health in order to save people’s homes and prevent the fire from scouring further and reaching Lake Tahoe. As of now, the Dixie Fire is 90% contained; if winds pick back up again it could get worse, but for now, fully containing the fire is a feasible goal (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/10/11/us/california). 

The Alisal Fire is another fire that helps to foster California’s notorious reputation of having fire days instead of snow days. This fire, which is festering in Santa Barbara County, currently stands at around eighty percent containment and has burned through 17,254 acres of land. This fire has gotten so severe that authorities have had to deploy over 1,000 personnel. The American Red Cross is at the scene helping residents through this terribly scary time by handing out cases of water and comforting those who have had to evacuate their homes (https://readysbc.org/alisal-fire/). 

It has recently been discussed that there are simply not enough firefighters to help keep these raging wildfires under control. Many firefighters are getting injured, and on top of that, these fires are occurring at the worst possible time. September and October are the driest months of the year, and with the Santa Ana winds blowing through, the situation becomes so much more difficult (CNBC). 

Although the fires sweeping through California can be alarming, especially if you or a family member lives close to the fire, our fire department has contained more than half of two of the biggest fires in California history. There are many volunteer organizations that thank the local fire departments for all that they do, and if you ever have a chance, make sure to do the same.