Thousand of people from northern California left their homes behind as two unstoppable wildfires obliterated their houses entirely.
Officials ordered the evacuation of entire communities such as Middletown, Cobb, Big Canyon Road, and Harbin Hot Springs. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 5,000 people had no saying were forced to leave their homes behind.
The Valley Fire erupted over the weekend, 110 miles west of Sacramento. The wildfire quickly spread by Sunday night over an area of 50,000 acres. Cal Fire declared they sent more than 1,000 firefighters to bring the fire to an end.
Thousands of families took all their goods and ran as fast as they could as the blaze raced towards their home. But many valuable belongings were left to ashes as more than 400 houses burned. As the inferno was spreading across the state, governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the nearby counties – Lake and Napa. The governor maneuver will replace the lost documents of great importance such as birth certificates for the families who had to abandon their homes.
As wildfires continued to burst out over the weekend, four of the firefighters were badly injured. All of them were transported to the nearest hospital in Sacramento. Officer Daniel Berlant of Cal Fire said that all four firefighters suffered 2nd degree burns but are now in stable condition.
In Calaveras and Amador counties, about 75 miles east of Sacramento, an even larger fire exploded – the Butte Fire. Cal Fire reported that the new wildfire covered an area of nearly 65,000 acres on late Sunday. However, the Butte Fire was not as destructive as the Valley Fire, but it still managed to ruin 135 homes while threatening another 6,000 buildings.
Lynne Tomachoff from Cal Fire said that after four years of drought and with the high temperatures and low humidity, these are the conditions California will have to adjust to in the near future. Currently, more than 4,000 firefighters are looking to contain the blaze on the scene. They have managed to reduce the fire by 25%.
Losing everything you own out of nowhere and having to put your life back on track is a scary thought. There are no rumors yet on whether the affected families will be immediately allowed to return to their homes once the fires are contained.
Photo Credits wikipedia
