California Wildfires Inflict Structural Damage

The Carr wildfire is on track to be one of the worst wildfires in California’s history. To date the wildfire has destroyed over one thousand homes, putting over 2,000 additional structures in jeopardy. Roughly 40,000 peoplewere forced to evacuate the area due to these dangerous flames. The Northern Californian fires have been raging for a week with just under a third of the flames contained.

The fire is so large and hot that it is creating its own localized weather system. The strong winds make it difficult to predict which way the blaze will blow, producing storm and tornado-like conditions alongside the fire. Scientists have attributed the increase in the ferocity of wildfires, fueled by higher temperatures and less rain, to climate change. Crews have taken to the charred fields to document the damage inspection, making these estimates subject to change.