Weather Shift Could Bring Even More Fires to California

More than 600 fires sparked by an intense heat wave and more than 12,000 lightning strikes have already decimated more than 1 million acres of land across California. And it could get worse. The majority of the damage has been dealt in northern California by three fire clusters, destroying 1,175 square miles of forest. But the National Weather service issued a “red flag” warning across the Bay Area and central coast, cautioning residents that predicted high temperatures, low humidity, and wind gusts expected to reach 65 mph could cause dangerous fires. “What this means, is that any lightning that comes through ... it’s going to likely result in additional fires,” Cal Fire unit chief Shana Jones said. “We do have a plan in order to immediately attack those fires, but it’s going to take some work.”