Thousands Temporarily Evacuated in California Wildfire

Facts

• A wildfire initially broke out in the hills near the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Saturday — scorching thousands of acres, approximately 60 miles (97 km) east of San Francisco. Authorities ordered thousands of residents to temporarily evacuate — orders which have since been lifted.¹
• According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the research center, which is a strategic nuclear weapons development center, was never in direct danger from the fire.²
• Cal Fire mobilized around 475 firefighters, 45 fire engines, 14 crews, and 15 water tenders to assist in combating the blaze.³
• By Monday, the blaze was reportedly 75% contained, with two firefighters reportedly suffering injuries.⁴
• The US National Weather Service has forecast 'dangerously hot conditions' in the San Joaquin Valley this week.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²NBC Los Angeles, ³Los Angeles Times, ⁴PBS NewsHour and ⁵Voice of America.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Specialreports. It's still early in the fire season, but California has already seen over 1.2K wildfires. Forecasts indicate that La Nina and climate change will intensify the warmer weather. A rainy winter, paradoxically, promotes vegetation growth, and when plants dry up, they become fuel, complicating the already dangerous wildfire season.
• Narrative B, as provided by ShelterBox. The frequency and severity of California wildfires have increased each year in the 21st century. But research indicates that people cause the majority of wildfires, with only 10 -15% occurring naturally. The causes range from smoking to igniting power lines. In fact, human-caused fires are more devastating than those caused by weather — a vital context that's often overlooked.

Predictions