Wildfires spread by strong winds are forcing thousands of families from Napa and Sonoma valleys in Calfornia to evacuate their homes.
State fire agency Cal Fire said that the blaze of the fires spread along 11,000 acres over California state and it is currently zero percent contained.
Famous Napa Valley wineries are already up in smoke, while people are trying to fend off fires from the still unaffected ones. Tuck Beckstoffer, president of a 20-acre vineyeard stated: “We saved the winery last night, but everything else was lost.”
According to Science Alert, approximately 34,000 people in the California state have received orders to evacuate their households and nearly 14,000 more have been told to prepare to leave immediately.
The situation is worsened by the gushes of winds which spread the fires by blowing embers. Winds of 55 mph were recorded on Monday. California governor Gavin Newsom stated: “Winds will stabilize overnight, which should help with our efforts to take advantage of those conditions. More than 1,000 firefighters battled to bring the flames under control in a region that “has been hit over and over and over again.”
California in a sea of wildfires
For months, California state has faced massive wildfires, which were helped by dry climate, high temperatures and fierce winds.
Governer Newsom has also warned that California is only “now moving in to the peak of the wildfire season.” COVID-19 has complicated the evacuation process of tens of thousands of people, hotels and universities being alternatives to mass shelters. In the midst on this pandemic, this is certainly bad news.
According to Cal Fire five of the biggest six wildfires in California are currently burning. Kale Casey, a spokesman for California firefighters departament, has stated that winds can change the risk areas on a daily bases. “And then you have a day like yesterday where all hell breaks loose,” he concluded.
Photo credits: Pixabay
