Wildfires burn across California

California Governor Gavin Newsom, L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin, and L.A. City Mayor Eric Garcetti tour a burned home.

Gov. Gavin Newsom will meet with Californians who are grappling with evacuations and the impacts of consecutive utility power shutoffs today, according to the governor’s press office.

He will stop at a mobile food bank and resource center in Santa Rosa where residents can pick up food, and learn whether they could qualify for fire or Public Safety Power Shutoff-related unemployment benefits and access other services. 

The governor will then return to a mobile home park in American Canyon to check in on residents who he visited this past weekend ahead of this week’s utility-led Public Safety Power Shutoff.

Newsom will share resources to help residents receive support to replace food and prescription medications they lost during the power shutoffs.

Following his visit, he will hold a news conference in the mobile home park’s community room to highlight the resources available to all Californians affected by the fires and power shutoffs.

Remember: At least 26 million people are under some kind of red flag warning for fires in California.

The Easy Fire in Simi Valley is threatening 6,500 homes, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The fire, which has scorched at least 1,300 acres, is burning on a ridge near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, forcing officials to order evacuations of the library and nearby homes and close schools.

The Simi Valley Unified School District closed all schools Wednesday because of the fire threat.

The Easy Fire erupted in Simi Valley earlier this morning as multiple wildfires continue to rage across California. The fires have prompted highway closures and evacuations throughout the morning.

The Easy Fire in Simi Valley, California, is now 972 acres, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

State Route 23 is also closed in both directions due to heavy smoke, which is impairing visibility, according to the California Highway Patrol.

NASA Astronaut Andrew Morgan posted these photos of the California wildfire north of the Bay Area on Twitter:

Morgan is currently serving on board the International Space Station for a 9-month mission as part of Expeditions 60, 61 and 62, according to his Twitter.

CNN’s Bill Weir is at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, where the nearby Easy Fire has prompted a mandatory evacuation.

Weir had to wear googles and a mask while reporting because of the smoke and flames.

He explained that the area is vulnerable because of its growing wilderness.

Watch for more:

People watch helicopters make water drops on the Getty Fire on October 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

The Getty Fire has scorched 745 acres and is 27% contained, said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas at a news conference.

Evacuation orders are still in place.

Last night, firefighters put out two hot spots — one inside the Getty Fire zone and one from the Palisades Fire that sparked a week ago. Both spot fires were handled by helicopters.

He encouraged those who want to support the fire department to go to their foundation’s website here. They recently purchased a thermal imager to identify hotspots.

The foundation also purchased hydration backpacks for use on the fire lines as well as night vision goggles, which were key during nighttime water drops.

Phil Misiowiec, who lives in Wood Ranch, near the Ronald Raegan library, took this video of the massive wind blowing across southern California.

“Winds are tremendously strong and erratic. We are just outside the evacuation zone but are packed and ready to go if things change,” he told CNN.

“There’s a massive air assault by Ventura County Fire and LA Fire, pulling water from the reservoir near my home,” he added.

Eric Levitt, another California resident, also took a video showing the massive winds buffeting his dogs’ fur and dominating the skyline from Monte Vista Nature Park in Moorpark, California.

This morning, a new fire known as the Easy Fire broke out in Simi Valley in southern California.

Wildfires are growing deadlier and more destructive each year. For those outside of the area who might be unfamiliar with the phenomenon, here’s everything you need to know about wildfires.

How do wildfires start?

There’s no single answer.

Most wildfires are actually man-made — 84%, according to a NASA study. It doesn’t take much: a campfire, a tossed cigarette or even a firework can spark a massive blaze. Those Amazon fires a few months ago? Many believe they were lit by cattle ranchers and loggers who wanted to clear the land for use.

California’s largest public utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, might be in part to blame. In 2017 alone, PG&E equipment caused 17 fires, often after branches of falling trees hit power lines, according to state fire officials.

In some places, a falling branch may not be a big deal. But in California, where the land is so dry and the winds so strong, fires caused like this can spread with astonishing speed.

Why do they always seem to happen in California?

More wildfires actually occur in the eastern part of the US, but wildfires in the West tend to be larger and more destructive, according to data compiled by the Congressional Research Service.

Here are the numbers to put it in perspective. Nearly 36,200 fires burned 1.7 million acres in the East in 2018. In the West, just 22,000 wildfires burned more than 7 million acres.

What makes California unique is a combination of factors. The air is already dry. On top of that, there are the Santa Ana winds, a weather event where high pressure builds over the western US, forcing air over California’s deserts. It all results in super strong winds combined with low humidity, allowing wildfires to spread rapidly.

How many wildfires happen every year?

In 2018, there were around 58,100 fires that burned 8.8 million acres in the US, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The number of wildfires has been decreasing slightly over the last 30 years, whereas the number of acres burned is increasing slightly, according to the research service’s report.

Is climate change to blame?

In a nutshell, climate change creates drier air and drier vegetation.

So even though it doesn’t directly cause fires, it does help create conditions conducive to feeding them — and that contributes to more extreme fire events, said CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.

In its fourth climate change assessment, issued in August of last year, California reported that the state’s forests will become more vulnerable to wildfires because of climate change.

CalFire Riverside says they have begun fighting a new fire in Riverside, California. The fire, which authorities are calling the Water Fire, is currently burning five acres.

Authorities were evacuating Water Avenue in Riverside as multiple structures were involved in the fire.