Southern California Wild Fires
Since the beginning of time wildfires have scorched homes and consumed possessions. Wildfires are one of the most disastrous natural forces known to man. Wildfires blown by terrible desert winds left thousands of Southern California homes in ashes at the start of October 21, 2007. There were 24 devastating fires which destroyed over 516,000 acres from Santa Barbara to San Diego County.
Current increases in Wildfires can be explained by changing weather patterns across the United States, accumulating development in the wild land and urban interface, and escalation of parching weather. Past suppression policies which allowed for the build up of fuel in the form of fallen leaves, branches, and excessive plant overgrowth in forest areas are major contributors to this problem. As the fires spread out of control small flames were becoming enormously overwhelming blazes. The winds swept through California Canyons stronger than usual making already dried up scrubland into tinder. “The winds are up. It’s very, very dangerous conditions,” San Diego County spokeswoman Lesley Kirk said “Fires are popping up all over the place.” Our governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, stated “The wind is our number one enemy right now.”
A boy playing with matches started one of Southern California’s fires. It burned over 38,000 acres of land. Captain Mike Brown suggested that the fires may have been started by downed power lines. The department is looking for two men in their twenties whom authorities said were seen driving a gray van one morning north of the San Bernardino city limits. Witnesses saw something being thrown into the bushes from the van. The Cedar fire was started by a lost hunter who lit a signal fire. The hunter has been detained for questioning although it is believed that he did not intend for the fire to spread.
“There are not enough resources to go around because of the number of fires that are going on in our state right now,”...