Hi everybody!
Normally, we’ll share six to twelve articles but we’re going to modify that and give more special attention to a handful of relevant stories in our world. In future “World From Your Window” articles, we’ll only focus on one story, while offering you links to some other relevant topics. How do I go about picking just one story to espouse on with all the stories and relevant issues out there? That’s going to be challenging but I believe this is worthy of your consideration.
Camp and Woolsey Fires in California
Firefighters are working non stop to get what has been called the deadliest wildfire in California history. There are also reportedly several large fires in the area as well but this deadly fire has killed at least 59 people and ravaged entire neighborhoods in Paradise and other Northern California towns. 8 sets of remains have been located with nearly 130 people still unaccounted for. Many in that group are 80 to 90 years of age. To say the scenes in California are chaotic is a gross understatement. A firefighter was also struck by a car just after midnight last night while fighting the Woolsey Fire. It is being assessed that the fires are “at about 50 containment”.
The well known whipping Santa Ana winds only help to fuel and complicate this very tragic and still dangerous situation. This fire has been indiscriminate with poor air quality, multiple separate fires, destruction to 8,650 residences and loss of multiple lives. The news may emphasize the impact of some of Hollywood’s finest but the impact reaches much further and wider to those who rent their homes, Native American settlements, and those living in multi unit rental properties.
Camp Fire
- Location: Butte County
- 138,000 acres burned
- 35 percent contained
- 56 fatalities confirmed
- 10,321 structures destroyed (including homes)
Woolsey Fire
- Location: Los Angeles County, Ventura County
- 98,362 acres burned
- 52 percent contained
- 3 fatalities confirmed
- 435 structures destroyed, 57,000 in danger
California is notorious for having much dry lands, mountainous territory, and rising temperatures that can make for a deadly combination. 2% of California’s wildfires were reportedly caused by lightning and 8% were due to arson. An ex-nuclear testing site has been blamed for years on multiple illnesses near Los Angeles but no evidence has been located to suggest this site attributed to the fire and there is no noted radioactivity or chemical contamination. At this time, the actual cause is still unknown. The causes of the wildfires in Northern and Southern California are still under investigation. Following reports that two electric utilities reported problems in the locations of the Camp and Woolsey fires minutes before those blazes began, a lawsuit has been filed accusing Pacific Gas & Electric of negligence, according to KQED. The projection is that the fires will be fully contained by Sunday but evacuations are still in effect.
So many have found it difficult to sympathize with those living through this harsh reality on the other side of the nation but it is a reminder that tragedy can touch us all. It just dawned on me that I have family in the Chico/Los Angeles area where these fires have been deadly but because we are estranged, or at the least, out of touch, I cannot reach them to determine how they are or if they are among the missing. And that small sample of helplessness can’t compared to what every Northern Californian is living through right now. That’s the world through our window. What do you see?
Here are a couple other stories that might interest you. Enjoy!
Murder On The High Seas?
Trumped by a Trump?
Mirror Time with Mr. Yu 