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California Governor declares state of emergency as Kincade fire north of San Francisco continues to grow

According to The New York Times, Governor Gavin Newsom of California declared a state of emergency Sunday due to the growing presence of the Kincade fire north of San Francisco. The fire, which began late Wednesday night and remains the largest of over a dozen wildfires presently active in the state, has reportedly been fueled by “unprecedented” winds reaching a force of over 100 miles per hour. More than 180,000 citizens of California have been ordered to evacuate their homes as of Sunday, and more than 500,000 may be without power after one of the state’s main power utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), shuts off power to “prevent its lines and equipment from sparking new fires in the dry, windy conditions.” ~

The fire has burned more than 54,298 acres in Sonoma County since Wednesday. According to officials of local California fire departments, the fire has destroyed 94 buildings, damaged 17 more, and is currently threatening over 80,000 buildings. Governor Newsom reported Sunday that nearly 3,000 firefighters have been fighting the Kincade blaze as of Wednesday, and almost 1,000 more have been striving to contain the Tick fire in Southern California, which has threatened thousands of homes on 4,600 acres in Los Angeles County. ~

It remains unclear how long and to what extent the Kincade fire will burn, but only 5 percent has reportedly been contained as of Sunday night. According to Sargant Spencer Crum of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, about 95% of the 180,000 California citizens who have been ordered to evacuate have actually done so. Sgt. Crum stated that his deputies would not arrest of force people out of their homes if they disobeyed the mandatory evacuation mandates, but said that these people “will be on their own in the event of an emergency.” The state’s governor Mr. Newsom has issued similar urgencies, stating that “It is critical that people in evacuation zones heed the warnings from officials and first responders, and have the local and state resources they need as we fight these fires.” ~

This is Fact Based America – WE have the FACTS. YOU have the OPINIONS. What do you think should be done to prevent future fires in California? Do you think people should be forced to leave their homes?

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