Majority of Southern California Wildfire Contained Following the Efforts of Fire Crews
Courtesy of NBC News
By Olivia Armstead
A wildfire that broke out in Southern California last Friday and forced residents to evacuate their homes was mostly contained a day later, according to fire officials, per ABC News.
According to ABC News, the wildfire named “The Springs Fire” covered approximately 6.3 square miles (~16 square kilometers) in Riverside County. It occurred about 65 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
Following the fire being 25% contained as of last Friday, at least 75% of it was contained a day later and was no longer growing, as reported by Terra Fernandez, public safety specialist for the Riverside County Fire Department.
Fire officials also went ahead with lifting the evacuation orders for many neighborhoods last Saturday morning.
With areas prone to natural disasters, it’s been an ongoing conversation as to whether or not government officials take necessary precautions regarding the disaster itself and its hazards. Kaleb Graham, an HU student from Long Beach, CA, thinks their methods can be improved.
“The only thing I would improve is the process to get the rebuilding started,” said Graham. “There are certain people who are still waiting for some type of insurance claim or getting a new house [because of] fires that happened years ago. It almost seems that the officials prioritize what buildings get to be rebuilt first.”
Natural disasters aren’t just weather inconveniences; they’re events that deeply affect the daily lives of residents in a variety of cities. Nathan Smith, an HU student from Santa Clara, CA, details how wildfires can affect people’s lives and what outsiders might fail to realize.
“The wildfires that have occurred throughout my life have definitely affected me personally. Family members that live in SoCal get affected by the fires, so it affects me as my family helps them in those situations,” said Smith. “People not living in California might not understand that in our daily lives, we have to be ready for these types of situations because they happen every year. We abide by lots of precautions to ensure our safety.”
The fire was reportedly fueled by strong Santa Ana winds reaching up to 45 mph (72 kph), but the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
