California Fires Worse Than Last Year

Fires in California are wreaking damage worse than last year.
California Fires Worse Than Last Year
Evan Mantyk
7/8/2008
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/fires81839744.jpg" alt="U.S. Forest Service Hot Shots set a backfire to try to contain the Gap fire, officially the top priority fire in the state, on July 6, 2008 near Goleta, California. The 6,860-acre Gap fire is spreading across the chaparral-covered Santa Ynez Mountains of  (David McNew/Getty Images)" title="U.S. Forest Service Hot Shots set a backfire to try to contain the Gap fire, officially the top priority fire in the state, on July 6, 2008 near Goleta, California. The 6,860-acre Gap fire is spreading across the chaparral-covered Santa Ynez Mountains of  (David McNew/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1835060"/></a>
U.S. Forest Service Hot Shots set a backfire to try to contain the Gap fire, officially the top priority fire in the state, on July 6, 2008 near Goleta, California. The 6,860-acre Gap fire is spreading across the chaparral-covered Santa Ynez Mountains of  (David McNew/Getty Images)

As a heat wave hit California this week and wildfires continue to burn, conditions are looking worse and worse, wreaking damage worse than last year, according to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“We have right now about 600,000 acres that have burned, so that means that there is more destruction this year than last year,” said Gov. Schwarzenegger, in remarks published Monday.

In Sacramento, close to where fires are blazing, the high temperatures today is forecast at 111 degrees, with zero percent chance of precipitation, according to the Weather Channel. High temperatures are expected to drop below 100 degrees only on Saturday.

Most of the fires were started by lightning, but several are believed to have been started by people, according to the Associated Press. Around 100 structures statewide have been destroyed and one firefighter died of a heart attack.

Around 20,000 personnel and firefighters are currently fighting the fires and 1,500 fire engines are continuously on the job, as well as around 100 aircraft and helicopters. Gov. Schwarzenegger expressed his concern over the strain on firefighters.

“I think it’s very important for us to rotate them out as quickly as possible. Many of them have worked 24 hours, 36 hours, 48-hour shifts at any given time. Some of them have been out there on the front for three weeks already fighting the fires,” he said.

The fires come as the nation’s economy takes a turn for the worse and as California is struggling with its own budget problems, facing a $15 to $17 billion shortfall.

The Governor has proposed increasing California homeowners’ insurance by $1 a month to offset the drain from fighting the fires.

One dollar a month “is very little. But it will help us a lot, because it will create anywhere between $70-100 million, which will get us the 131 engines, fire engines that we need, and the extra aircraft that we need and the extra manpower that we need,” said the Governor.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection remained optimistic on Tuesday, reminding residents that firefighters continue to make progress in containing wildfires.

“To date over 1,400 fires have been contained due to the diligent and endless work of firefighters,” the Department’s site reads.

However, the same message continues: “Last night winds picked up causing a dramatic increase in fire behavior and increased evacuations on many fires.”

Evan Mantyk is an English teacher in New York and President of the Society of Classical Poets.
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