Three historic and massive clusters of wildfires and other blazes continue to escalate across the Bay Area, burning over a million acres in thirteen Bay Area counties, California Gov. Gavin Newsom stated Aug. 24.
He stated the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit (LNU) Lightning complex fire is 22% contained, the Santa Clara Unit (SCU) Lightning complex fire is 10% contained and the Santa Cruz Mountains (CZU) Lightning complex fire is 13% contained.
“The recent wildfires across the Bay Area are most definitely unfortunate,” said Tylor Maio, San Jose State meteorology junior. “These fires are causing massive environmental damage, forcing thousands of people to frantically evacuate their homes and create some of the worst air quality this region has ever seen.”
Since the lightning siege started Aug.15, there have been more than 12,000 lightning strikes and 615 new wildfires, according to an Aug. 23 Twitter post by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
“These wildfires were primarily started by dry lightning strikes that occurred over this last weekend,” Maio said. “The thunderstorms that occurred over the weekend were probably a 10- to 20-year event.”
Some Northern Californians are receiving evacuation warnings as the rolling flames of the fires spread across the upper regions of the state.
“Everyone is on high alert,” said Alyssa Beltran, an SJSU music education junior and Santa Cruz resident. “I have watched friends and family leave their homes in the mountains, only taking what they can pack in a car, and now just waiting in uncertainty.”
Scotts Valley resident, Elaina Rapoza said she evacuated with her family on Aug. 20, after they received text messages about the evacuation in Santa Clara County.
“So many emotions went through our mind but practicality kicked in and we just packed a suitcase each, important documents, my grandmother's jewellery and pictures that couldn’t be replaced,” Rapoza said.
While Rapoza and her family are sheltered in a hotel, she said their biggest concern is whether they will see their house again and what it will look like.
“Our house is safe from the fire for now, but the evacuated area is being looted,” she said.
Beltran said while she’s happy to be safe, she doesn’t know how the world can continue to exist in this state of emergency and high alert.
“Climate change is real and we need leadership to address it. I am tired of seeing people suffer from things that could be prevented,” Beltran said. “I feel helpless and yet wanting to help everyone around me. This is a crazy time.”
Eugene Cordero, SJSU meteorology and climate science professor, said the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere is getting warmer due to global warming, which was predicted by scientists about two decades ago.
“The results we are noticing is magnified by the climate change and the longer droughts [that] the state suffers are attributable directly to human impact,” Cordero said.
He said California has a wet and dry climate. From November through April the climate is wet and after that it is dry for the rest of the year, which creates an ideal situation for forest fires.
“We all keep windows shut and bear the heat to prevent breathing in smoke,” Beltran said. “I am staying inside except for essential errands, but my throat is still rough from the smoke, I feel fatigued mentally and physically.”
Cordero said the only way to mitigate such disasters is to care for the environment and keep global warming in check.
“We will continue to see rising temperatures but what we can do to prevent this is reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere,” he said.
