Friday, January 24

Another massive wildfire has broken out northwest of Los Angeles, adding to the city's woes as fires rage across the city. Here's the latest on all of the fires.

Southern California has been suffering from dangerous wildfires in recent weeks, primarily due to the area's strong winds and dry conditions.

The Palisades Fire, which ravaged one of the wealthiest regions in Los Angeles just weeks ago, is now 75% contained, posing less of a threat to the western portion of the city. It stands at 23,448 acres, and it has destroyed over 6,380 structures-- the third-most destructive wildfire in the state's history.

The Eaton Fire, which leveled the unincorporated area of Altadena in northeastern Los Angeles, stands at 14,021 acres, but it is 95% contained and should not grow much larger. The Eaton Fire destroyed over 9,300 structures, making it the second-most destructive wildfire in California history, ahead of the Palisades Fire and only second to the devastating Camp Fire of 2018.

Just as these two major fires were coming under control, a third blaze broke out north of Santa Clarita, near the unincorporated town of Castaic. The Hughes Fire, as it was named, has exploded to 10,396 acres in just two days, and it is only 36% contained. Thankfully, it has not burned any structures, but it has a massive area of forest ahead of it to grow even further.

Several other small fires are also burning across Southern California, sparking fear in the hearts of residents across the region. The Laguna Fire erupted near the town of Oxnard, west of Los Angeles, and burned 94 acres before it came under control, and it is now 70% contained. The Sepulveda Fire broke out in Bel Air recently, another one of the richest neighborhoods in Los Angeles-- it grew to around 45 acres but is now 60% contained. The Clay, Gibbel, and Gilman Fires have all burned 39, 20, and 2 acres, respectively, in separate areas, with the latter being located in northern San Diego. Lastly, the Border 2 Fire has exploded in the Otay Mountain Area, located in the wilderness southeast of San Diego. The fire is just miles away from the border and has reached over 800 acres with 0% containment.

Now, Los Angeles will receive some major relief as cooler temperatures move in this week along with rain, which will help firefighters take down the last of the fires still burning. However, rain after wildfires brings a new threat: mudslides. Due to the fact that the soil has been loosened by the lack of plants and trees holding it together, rain can quickly turn that loose soil into a raging slide of mud, rock, and wildfire debris that destroys homes, businesses, and roads. To add to those fears, the rain is expected to be substantial, beginning with a light drizzle on Saturday and transitioning into intermittent moderate downpours throughout Sunday.

Mudslides happen often in wildfire-ravaged areas, but usually heavy rain is needed for them to occur. Because of this, a strong downpour from the storm would need to pass over a burned area. Otherwise, the storm should bring much-needed precipitation to Southern California, finishing off some of the smaller wildfires and wetting the area to prevent additional fires in the near future.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): There are more trees on Earth than stars in our galaxy. There are around 3 trillion trees on Earth, and NASA estimates that there are around 100 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A moment lasts for seconds but the memories last forever. (Unknown)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Wanderlust (noun, WAHN-der-lust) - Wanderlust refers to a strong desire to travel.

In a Sentence: During their final semester at college, the two friends were both filled with an insatiable wanderlust and began planning a journey to Patagonia together.