The California Wildfire Problem Leaves Two Firefighters in Critical Condition

As of Monday, October 26th, a wildfire in Southern California known as the Silverado Fire had forced nearly 100,000 people to evacuate their homes. The Silverado Fire burned 13,390 acres of land, and it was so fierce that local governments enlisted 500 firefighters. The fire was perpetuated by high winds and low humidities, and the severity of the fire left two officers, ages 26 and 31 (whose names have not been released), in the hospital suffering from serious burns. 

 Chief Brain Fennessy of The Orange County Fire Authority stated that the fire left these officials with 65% and 50% burns on their bodies respectively, both of which were second and third degree burns. Chief Fennessy said that he visited with the injured firefighters and their families at OC Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, and stated that “it's tough for any firefighter, certainly any fire chief, to feel this helpless when you've got part of our fire family fighting for their lives.” Chief Fennessy knew the burn victims personally, and he stated that after getting to know their families, he can see where they got their strength from. He also added that he feels “confident that [the injured firefighters] are going to do all they can to fight through this. It's just who they are.” 

Cal Fire, which is in charge of the firefighting initiatives, is now working on cleaning up the mess that the fire left, and they are keeping an eye out for flare ups. Chief Fennessy expressed his gratitude for Cal Fire taking command of the Silverado Fire, stating that it allows him to spend more time with the victim’s families and coworkers as they recover during this difficult time. 

These officers are left in critical condition, but they are not the only ones being harmed by the fires. This year alone, at least 8,000 fire incidents have been reported, and a record 4 million acres of land has been scorched. Additionally, 31 California residents have lost their lives. It doesn’t look like this trend of horrific fires will stop soon; in fact, fire conditions are expected to worsen due to the increase of windiness and dryness that is set to occur in the foreseeable future.

The public has started a GoFundMe account and raised more than 215,000 dollars to help these wounded firefighters, but nevertheless, the wildfires in California are persisting, leaving many officers injured and others in exile from their homes with an unpredictable future ahead.