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Fighting the Flames

Spanish Translation

By Suzanne Zimbler

Dry air and hot temperatures are fueling wildfires in Southern California. Thousands of firefighters are working to put out the flames.

When Abigail Carrillo, 12, stepped out onto the balcony of her Tujunga, California, home last Monday, she knew she needed to move quickly. "I could see the fire in the mountains, and there was smoke everywhere," she told TFK. She helped her mother pack up some clothes. Then she grabbed a stack of photographs and her diary and headed out the door. At the evacuation center where her family went to stay temporarily, Abigail stayed positive. "We're safe here," she says.

The Carrillos' house was one of more than 12,000 structures threatened by a fast-moving wildfire in Southern California last week. The fire started on August 26 in the Angeles National Forest, an area just north of Los Angeles. Within a week, it had destroyed more than 60 homes and had burned through 219 square miles of forest.

Where the Wildfires Are

Because the fire started near a ranger station, it was named the Station Fire. It is the largest of several wildfires burning in California (see map).

Dry air and hot temperatures are fueling the flames. The Station Fire is raging through an area that has not burned for 40 years. Dead trees and leaves have piled up over time. That bone-dry brush is now helping to feed the fire. "When it gets into canyons that haven't burned in numerous years, it takes off," said Dianne Cahir. She works for the U.S. Forest Service.

Strong, hot gusts of wind are common this time of year in California. But so far, there has been little wind to fan the flames. "With the winds, it would be so much worse," says Los Angeles County fire captain Mark Whaling.

Striking Back

Thousands of firefighters had 38% of the Station Fire contained by Thursday. On the ground, they cleared away brush. From the sky, air tankers and helicopters dumped water and firefighting chemicals onto hot spots. (See "Ready for Action," page 8.) Many firefighters worked around the clock. "You can't sleep," says firefighter Jack Hayes. "There's always something you could be doing."

While thousands of Californians, including the Carrillo family, waited to return home, many more braced themselves for the rest of wildfire season. The blazes are common in California through November. The state's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sought to reassure residents. "We are fortunate," he told them, "to have the best-trained, most courageous firefighters in the world."

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