Whether man-made or due to a natural phenomenon, the wildfires that are currently happening in California have inflicted some serious damage, not just in the environment but towards people as well.
As reported by The New York Times, the Tubbs fire destroyed thousands of homes and structures in its path. It was therefore dubbed the most destructive wildfire in the state's history and the most lethal, as it claimed 42 lives. The map showed how much it spread within hours on Oct. 8. It started at 9:43 p.m. and spread to a deadly extent around 10:30 p.m. By 11:00 p.m., firefighters arrived and called for residents in the area to evacuate, but the fire had already claimed its first victim.
By 11:58 p.m., the fire had spread down even more, with firefighters continuously asking residents to evacuate downhill. Unfortunately, the fire was pushed downhill just as quickly due to the strong winds that went past 50 miles an hour. The burning embers were being blown by the wind and, therefore, started new fires. In three hours, the fire had reached Santa Rosa, alarming all the authorities based there as well as residents who were unprepared.
Fortunately, a few days ago, after what seemed to be quite an ordeal on all fronts, some light rain started to fall in Northern California. This somehow helped firefighters fight the flames. As told by the Los Angeles Times, 11,000 firefighters were present, who have been using everything in order to put a stop to this natural disaster.
The day following the light rainfall, firefighters were able to obtain majority containment. Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant stated that parts of the affected areas were able to see up to three quarters of an inch of rain overnight. He went on to say that it allowed minimal fire activity and continued to give them an opportunity to move forward with their containment lines, even strengthening them in other affected areas.
The rain, along with the cooler temperatures as well as high humidity, served to help the firefighters put out the wildfires. Even though the temperatures have risen over the weekend, Berlant said that the conditions remained to be favorable for them.
