For the past two weeks, wildfires have devastated communities all over California.  Everything started on January 7th, when a large plume of dark smoke was found in the sky over Malibu. The Palisades Fire would begin to spread within hours, with 10 acres of land being burned in the first few hours. People in the area desperately tried to get out of their homes but traffic backups along Sunset Boulevard limited who was able to escape.  The fire consumed 200 acres destroying homes, cars, and anything else in its path throughout the first day.  

By the next morning, thousands of acres were burned in the state with no end in sight.  Extreme winds caused firefighters to have a very difficult time controlling the fires.  836 firefighters and 7 helicopters tried to make progress throughout the severe weather conditions.  

2 weeks later, the fires are continuing to spread all over California.  The Palisades Fire is 77% contained but over 23,000 acres of land was affected over the short time span.  The Eaton Fire is 95% contained, burning over 14,000 acres.  The first rainfall took place in the past few days which helped first responders try and contain these fires.  Two seasons of above-average rainfall were continued by long lasting droughts with very dry conditions.  Any fires that start now will most likely spread at a rapid rate due to high winds.  

Though the fires are being contained, people are losing their belongings and valuables at a rapid rate.  Homes are destroyed holding memories that can never be brought back.  First responders are trying their best to limit the fires, saving lives and belongings that are directly in the path of the flames.