Any wildfire is a danger for the Environment as well as for the safety of people and their properties. The latest one in the growing list is the Thomas Fire in southern California. This one has already destroyed nearly 45,000 acres of land in the coastal Ventura County located just north of Los Angeles.
Daily Mail UK reports that the number of people evacuated is more than 27,000 people, and the fire has burnt down at least 150 homes and businesses. The situation has forced Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in the region. He has urged residents, who stay near the blaze, to move out to safer places because the fire could spread fast.
The fire is spreading
The authorities have indicated that the wildfire is spreading and the residents must evacuate because containment is difficult. There are reports from different regions like San Bernardino of people being hospitalized due to fire-related injuries, and the blaze is threatening structures in the neighborhood. The northbound lanes of Interstate 215 in the area have been closed to traffic.
Incidentally, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have indicated that 2017 has been a bad year for the state because fires have destroyed more than one million acres (1500 square miles) of land. In fact, the total area that has been destroyed by fires would be bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
Obviously, the environment had to bear the brunt of the fires. It could take ages for the region to recover and for the greenery to return.
Wildfires must be prevented
How the wildfire started is still not known, but it was consuming dry brush that had been there for decades. These are adding to the problem because winds fan the flames, and the smoke not only reduces visibility but also affect the lives of people in the vicinity.
Wind speeds are around 55-miles-per-hour and could increase to 80-miles-per-hour which would add to the devastation.
2017 has been a bad year for wine country in California as far as wildfires are concerned. The death toll has crossed 40 in the month of October, and it is necessary that people realize the gravity of the situation.
Disasters like these usually start when dry branches create sparks due to friction. These, in turn, lead to fire which spreads rapidly due to the winds and leave behind ashes and burnt stumps of trees. The birds, animals and even humans lose their habitats, and the environment lies devastated. In order to prevent such loss, one option is to reduce the temperature of the surroundings by having more of greenery and less of dry trees and shrubs. In other words, take care of global warming to save the forests.
