Wildfires across the state of California have already damaged an area greater than New York City and Boston combined, and there does not seem to be an end anytime soon. Although there were a total of six wildfires recorded in California last week, the Thomas fire is the most worrisome. It has already become the fifth largest fire in California History. Fire officials expect the fires to continue to grow due to the strong wind gusts, no rain, and dry vegetation in the area.

Wildfires are not typical this time of year, but because of recent weather conditions, the Thomas fire broke out. Sections of Southern California have been experiencing record-breaking dry conditions and intense Santa Ana winds, which are perfect conditions for wildfires to thrive. The Santa Ana winds blow from inland towards the Pacific Ocean, and they gain speed when passing through mountains and canyons. Most Southern California cities have seen little to no rain this fall, and are experiencing extremely low humidity. The Los Angeles International Airport has had 0.01 inches of rain this year, which is the lowest it has been since 1962. These dry conditions are expected to continue throughout the month of December. California Governor Jerry Brown stated that the most populous US state is more vulnerable to forest fires because of climate change, and that this is becoming the “new normal.”

Due to a flare up on the western edge of the Thomas fire on Saturday, new evacuation orders have been put into place in the seaside areas in Santa Barbara County. Most school districts in Santa Barbara county shut down schools on Monday, December 11. Several of these counties have even closed until the new year. The Santa Barbara Zoo was also closed on Sunday, and the animals were confined to their night quarters in ensure their safety. Many celebrities who live in Montecito, a wealthy hill side enclave home to Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, and Ellen Degeneres, were forced to evacuate.

All of the wildfires except for the Thomas fire has been contained and the evacuation orders have been lifted in these areas. The amount of money it will cost to repair the damage that these wildfires have cause has yet to be calculated. At least one person has died while trying to escape the fires. High fire risk is expected to last until January.