California has been at the receiving end of wildfires. The Creek Fire last year was the largest single fire in the history of the state. Wildfires can happen due to various reasons. Some of these involve humans. Others are the results of issues like Climate change. The fact remains that wildfires leave a trail of destruction that takes ages to heal. The environment takes a severe beating, wildlife loses their habitats, and the people in the regions are faced with damages to their properties. The damages extend to the infrastructure also.
ABC30 says the Creek Fire started 10 months back, and its investigation is officially closed.
Those involved in the investigations decided that it was not feasible to establish the reasons. As an official of the U.S. Forest Service says: "Well, it's not uncommon in an investigation like this to where you might not find or pinpoint an exact cause." Teams of forest service investigators examined every possibility and ruled out many likely causes. The wildfire could have been from a lightning strike, but they could not exempt human involvement like arson or smoking tobacco.
The investigators eliminated many reasons for the wildfires
The Creek Fire in California wreaked havoc and destroyed the surrounding areas. After investigation, the U.S. Forest Service excluded some causes like fire from power lines, or fireworks, or activities involving children, or even the use of firearms.
The teams also conducted checks for illegal sites of marijuana cultivation. ABC30 quotes Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig saying: "A lot of people who have lost everything, at no fault of their own, really they want some closure on the Creek Fire." He added that the county is taking action to help the victims of the Creek Fire to rebuild.
It will be a costly affair. There might be a reopening of the investigation in case fresh evidence emerges.
There could be many reasons for wildfires
According to CNN, The Creek Fire in California is the largest single fire in the state. It burned hundreds of thousands of acres in the mountains of Fresno and Madera counties.
The fire raged for months last year and led to the destruction of more than 850 structures. The U.S. Forest Service carried out a detailed investigation but could not arrive at any specific cause. The origin of the fire appears to be a lightning strike. However, the authorities do not rule out arson or "smoking activities." Officials admit that it was a complex situation, and the status remains undetermined.
The cost of fighting wildfires can be enormous
Any fire ends up in loss of lives and properties, and those who survive have to begin all over again. Major casualties of wildfires are travel options and the availability of electricity. Restoring them is not only time-consuming but cost-intensive as well.
In the case of the Creek Fire, CNN says that county officials of Fresno explained that the cost of fighting and extinguishing the fire was nearly $193 million. Next comes the recovery and rebuilding stage. On a rough estimate, that could go beyond $500 million. The investigators tried their best to determine the cause. They followed up several leads and eliminated multiple potential causes but failed to pinpoint the reason.
