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On Jan, 7,  multiple wildfires broke out in Southern California, causing many people’s homes and businesses to burn down with the land. According to Cal Fire, the original two wildfires broke out in Palisade County and Eaton County. Due to the high winds and extreme weather conditions, these two fires have spread and already created 135 wildfires in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. These wildfires have burned over 40,000 acres of land and over 12,000 building structures, causing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Jan. 7 to help aid those in crisis and support impacted communities.

At deadline, there are a total of six wildfires still active, and only one of those is mostly contained by the fire department. Although they are not yet sure of what caused these fires, experts do know that they are spreading due to flying embers. According to a recent CBS report, the Forest Service has tried to stop wildfires by having 13 aircrafts fly over the fires and drop tons of fire depressants on them, including direct drops on burning structures. The depressants reduce the amount of oxygen being fed to the fires and cool down the burning. 

Along with the California Fire Department, hundreds of National Guard troops have stepped in to help with the fires.

“At my direction, hundreds of federal personnel and unique federal aerial and ground support has been sent to California to support the firefighting efforts and help communities in need,” said President Biden in his statement.

According to CBS reports, Nevada and Wyoming have also lent out nearly 2,000 firefighters to California to help stop this weather disaster. Also, nearly 800 of the people helping fight fires are incarcerated firefighters who were stationed to help by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Although California is all the way across the country, some people from Utica are feeling the effects of this disaster through family and friends. Recent Utica University graduate Breannan O’Hara shared the story of her cousin who was evacuated from her home and faced these wildfires in person. 

O’Hara said her cousin was evacuated to her coworker’s house and although her place did not burn down, her apartment was smoked out and toxic to breathe. O’Hara’s cousin also said that the local animal shelter had to release close to 70 dogs to run for their lives in the midst of everything. 

“When she was driving to her co-worker’s [home], she said there wasn’t even a city anymore, it was all destroyed,” O’Hara said. “The surrounding towns had been burnt to the ground, nothing was still standing.”

Dean Jason Denman also shared experiences of friends and family that he has that have been directly affected by the wildfires. 

“I have several old friends who were living in motels with their kids and pets the last several days, just trying to get by,” said Denman. “My cousin and his wife and baby were displaced and are living with his mom in another part of the city.”

Thankfully no one that he knows has lost their home, but they have all been affected in small and very large ways.

“I’ve been bowled over by the breadth of the impact on people,” said Denman.