Say a Prayer for California
We are safe, but the fire Monday grew by 61,000 acres, racing north towards Santa Barbara. The winds, which can carry embers more than a mile and start spot fires well ahead of the flame front, picked up, driven by winds, topography and fuel.
The very qualities that make its wilderness a beacon for hikers and the dramatic backdrop to coastal towns also make it a firefighters’ nightmare. The mountain ranges run east-west — in line with dry winds from the interior. Deep canyons crease country that is twisted and folded by nature’s forces. There are few places where fire crews can take a stand.
Humidity levels are stuck at withering levels, sucking the moisture out of dense stands of chaparral that can stoke flames like coal shoveled into a furnace.
The only good news is air tankers laid retardant lines and cleared old fuel breaks to keep the blaze out of the condor sanctuary.
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