Hundreds of wildfires have now burned over 1.5 million acres of land in Northern California. That’s equivalent to the entire state of Rhode Island.
Over 1,200 structures have burned and several people have died. Some 14,000 firefighters have been deployed, but their efforts are hampered by weather and a lack of resources. The state lost much of its inmate firefighting population due to jail releases during the pandemic.
At every turn, coronavirus has compounded the disaster. Evacuees are worried about protecting their health. Businesses that had switched to outdoor operations are now shutting completely amid terrible air quality.
The fires were largely sparked by lightning storms and record heat. These are some of the largest blazes crews are battling:
- LNU Lightning Complex (Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Lake, and Yolo counties) — 351,817 acres burned, 25% contained
- SCU Lightning Complex (Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties) — 360,055 acres burned, 15% contained
- Butte Lightning Complex (Butte County) — 3,527 acres, 40% contained
- Moc Fire (Tuolumne County) — 2,800 acres, 30% contained
See a map here.