Vicious Wildifire Strikes in California

Governor of California, Jerry Brown, offered a grim outlook after a week of raging wildfires.

In total, a half-dozen wildfires have burned 200,000 acres since December 6th. Nearly 800 structures have been destroyed according to officials. Over 4,000 firefighters battled the largest fire in Ventura County. The fire is currently 15% contained.

The newest fires in San Diego County and Liberty County are 20% controlled as of Saturday, December 9th, but continue to be fueled by the Santa Ana winds. The Governor also stated, "This is kind of the new normal." he also added that this type of behavior will occur for several decades. With the climate change, California is getting hotter and quite literally burning up. Mother Nature hasn't done much to help the cause after 55 mph winds on the fifth, but since the winds have slowed.

Unfortunately, one death is blamed to the Ventura County fire after 70-year-old Virginia Pesola was caught in a crash fleeing from the advancing fires. Authorities have also told us that one firefighter has been injured and three have been burned. The fire in Ventura County was supposedly started by an illegal cooking fire at an encampment near San Diego freeway on December Sixth. The "Skirball" fire burned 422 acres and threatened multimillion-dollar homes in Bel-Air reported The Los Angeles Times on the twelfth.

According to officials, as far as December twelfth afternoon, there is 48 million dollars' worth of damage and nearly 25,000 homes threatened by the fires. Over 85,000 power outages are credited to the fires, and 50,000 people have been instructed to evacuate in the Ventura County fire.

-Rob Chapman