More than 10,000 people in communities northwest of Los Angeles have been ordered to evacuate as fierce Santa Ana winds fan a fast-spreading wildfire, bringing flames down dry hillsides and into residential areas. A wildfire that started in a canyon near Camarillo had grown to at least 14,500 acres by today, fire officials said, and was threatening thousands of structures. Local authorities, firefighters, and emergency personnel are trying to stop fires in communities as strong winds feed the fire and dried-up vegetation from the drought feeds into it.(MORE)

Fire Powered by Gusts of Wind and Dry Materials

The wildfire has been burning since Wednesday afternoon when it swept westward through a hillside canyon, driven by Santa Ana winds gusting up to 80 mph (130 kph). Embars, said Ventura County Fire Department’s Captain Tony McHale, were carried up to two miles on strong winds from the fire front and have ignited ranches, homes, and other structures across the area. “It’s like trying to put out a blowtorch with a squirt gun,” he said of the intense battle to control flames.

The fire is being fed on dry grass and scrubby undergrowth that is highly flammable during the autumnal dry spell at this time of year; the fire rages on uninterrupted. Casualties among civilians and severe property damage due to the fire are stated, but the areas where the fire crews are finding it challenging to penetrate make it impossible to gauge the extent of the damage.

Impact of Evolving California Climate

Climate scientists say this fire is the latest in a long series in California, which is now becoming too vulnerable to extreme wildfires. While recent winters have brought wet conditions conducive to the growth of coastal scrub and grasslands, the record-breaking summer heat has turned these once-green hillsides into fuel for fires. With increasingly high temperatures and droughts, the Golden State sees longer, more intense fire seasons, threatening communities and ecosystems.

California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed the fire is dangerous and threatens more than 3,500 structures, including homes, businesses, and other critical infrastructure. Ventura County schools have been closed through the end of the week as a precautionary measure.

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Power Outages to Prevent New Fires

Southern California Edison has even preemptively turned off power in several identified areas with high wildfire risk to contain further dangers of wildfires. Some systematized outages are made to avoid electric equipment-induced wildfires, mainly when dry and windy conditions are observed. At the same time, such power cuts have also given rise to new challenges for people and business ventures interested in the scenarios of evacuation and displacement.

A Historic Year for US Wildfires

This has been one of the most acute wildfire seasons in the United States. So far, it has consumed nearly 8.1 million acres nationwide, against an average annual consumption of approximately 7 million for the last ten years. More specifically, in California alone, wildfires this year have burned more than three times the area compared to the previous year, according to further data from Cal Fire.

In short, Santa Paula adds up to record-breaking fire activity that California has witnessed in a long time. If anything, it is a wake-up call to continue investing in fire prevention, adequate response during emergencies, and supporting the displaced.