By Leandro Montoya and Quinton Wood
As fires rage across California, many worry for their safety. Risk of power outages threaten the Antelope Valley, along with worries that the breeze will toss the wretched disaster towards us. Several fires, the Tick fire, the Kincade Fire, Getty Fire, and several more have been devouring the lot of California throughout late October.
The Tick and Getty fires have been the most covered fires recently, as newscasts show threatening reports of fire skirting along the borders of the Getty Center, a popular art museum. The fire has threatened thousands of homes, many of whom the residents have relatives at SOAR, and many even work at and go to SOAR. Mr. Simpson and Mrs. Blanski both had to evacuate their homes on Thursday. Mr. Simpson was in the eye of the storm, living right near Tick Valley. He described it as "embers flashing."
“There were embers jumping from house to house but the wind made them skip over every couple of houses,” he said, adding “Thankfully, only a few houses were lost in my area because the firefighters were on their game.”
Mrs. Blanski had difficulty getting into her home Thursday night, due to road closures. She stayed with relatives in the Antelope Valley until she was able to return to her home.
Both were able to return to their homes on Friday. As of Wednesday, October 30, the Tick Fire was 15 percent contained but it had already destroyed 60 homes and burned nearly 5000 acres.
Even many celebrities have had difficulties with the fires. Lebron James took to Twitter to talk about how his family had to evacuate. “I’ve been driving around with my family trying to get rooms,” he tweeted, “No luck so far.” Although the tick fire has almost been contained, the Getty fire still burns.
The Kincade fire is burning more Northerly but still brings concerns over air quality across California. In Sonoma County, the Kincade fire scorched over 76,500 acres on October 30th with only being contained 30 percent. The fire has terrorized residents and tourists trying to enjoy the Napa wine Valley. A newly-wed couple had to take their wedding photos in the smoke. This fire is one of the biggest ever in California history. The smoke from the Kincade fire causes many air quality problems all over Northern and Central California. The San Francisco Bay Area was covered in a thick layer of smoke for the past few days.
In Simi Valley, the Easy fire also burns. The fire threatens the Ronald Reagan presidential library and a nearby community. Though, a crew of firefighters has been designated to specifically protecting the fire. The Easy fire approaches 1000 acres, and evacuation shelters have been established around Thousand Oaks.
What worries many the most is: what should you do in case the fire approaches the Antelope Valley? Many residents are still shocked over the Powerhouse fire of 2015 that reached all the way into Lake Elizabeth, but now know what to do when an emergency services call for evacuation. It is recommended that people remove flammable objects from around their homes, and place the most flammable things towards the center of their rooms. Shut off gas and power, but leave a light on. If you are told to evacuate, it is wise to leave and only return when a clear is given. Pack necessities and things that cannot be replaced, especially family members and pets. If you can’t hold onto your pets, many local shelters can hold your pet until you are able to return home. Please be safe SOAR students.
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