A wildfire spread quickly after it developed around 60 miles east of Los Angeles, leaving officials investigating its origins. The fire is just one of thousands that have overwhelmed firefighters this year in California.
What's happening?
A wildfire flared up on Aug. 5 in San Bernardino County. The Edgehill Fire spread rapidly as temperatures in the area were climbing to over 100 degrees, as the Washington Post reported. As of Aug. 8, the cause was still "under investigation," according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Residents of Shandin Hills, a hillside community less than 2 miles from California State University in San Bernardino, were forced to evacuate, CBS News reported. The fire grew to about 100 acres at one point, according to the Post, destroying six structures and damaging three others.
"Arson investigators are still assessing the scene to determine where the origin of the fire was and how it started," San Bernardino police said, per the Washington Post, on Aug. 6.
The Edgehill Fire was one of more than 5,000 California wildfires that have burned nearly 800,000 acres and destroyed over a thousand structures this year, as of mid-August.
Why is the Edgehill Fire important?
It has been a challenging wildfire season in California for firefighters. The combined year-to-date acres burned through the middle of August were more than seven times the amount burned during the same period in 2023, according to Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service.
Nationwide through Aug. 18, more than 30,000 fires have burned more than 5 million acres. Extreme heat and an ongoing drought impacting much of the western United States have combined to raise the risk of wildfire activity this year.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reported drought conditions had expanded during the first week of August for several states, with nearly a third of the West now experiencing a drought.
What's being done about an increase in wildfires in California?
Cal Fire advises California residents to harden their homes. This means "retrofitting it with fire-resistant materials." It also recommends creating a "defensible space," which is "a buffer between buildings and vegetation to slow fire spread." Cal Fire also says having a plan, being ready to go, and evacuating early in the event a wildfire threatens is very important.
Dirty energy sources are releasing heat-trapping gases into our atmosphere and warming our world, making it easier for wildfires to form by creating conditions conducive to bigger and more intense wildfires. Cooling our planet by helping to reduce heat-trapping gases is vital. Taking small steps in caring for your yard, like upgrading to electric yard tools, mulching leaves, and composting yard waste, can help.
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