California’s ability to fight wildfires, already compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic, is being severely strained by a rash of lightning strikes and a stupefying array of new fires.
As major fires burned from Lake County to the South Bay, Cal Fire officials said Wednesday they’re struggling to keep up with 367 new fires that have broken out over the past three days, the result of nearly 11,000 lightning strikes.
“Firefighting resources are depleted as new fires continue to ignite,” said Jeremy Rahn, a Cal Fire spokesman, at a press briefing in Calistoga on the fires burning in the North Bay. He said Cal Fire is asking out-of-state agencies to rush 375 fire engines to the state, and share “hand crews” and other resources.
