Angelika Fires are as much a part of everyday life here in California, just like earthquakes. Every year, there are fires somewhere in late summer, often in Southern California, where it is hotter and drier. However, this year the wildfires are reaching alarming proportions. Over 1,700 fires, many of them in Northern California, have been burning since June 20, and more than 300 of them are still not extinguished.
Most of them were not caused by careless people, but by so-called dry lightning strikes, meaning thunderstorms without rain, which is relatively unusual in our area since there are usually no thunderstorms here. The flames are not directly at our doorstep, but they are relatively close to San Francisco, so at times it smells in San Francisco as if everyone had just lit their fireplace and grill.
At times, the sun was barely visible through the haze during the day, and we were even advised to stay indoors. The coastal section of Big Sur, which is considered one of the most beautiful parts of the southern stretch of Highway 1 and is located about 150 miles south of San Francisco, has been particularly hard hit, as firefighters have so far managed to contain only 20 percent of the fire there. They suspect it will take until the end of July to get the fire completely under control. Those familiar with the area might wonder how it can burn there, as Big Sur is famous for its fog and is located right by the ocean. Therefore, the humidity is not exactly low, and the forests are full of "Redwood" trees, which are quite resistant to fire and thus become very old. However, the dry grass and brush still burn like tinder, as California has not received enough rain in the last two winters.
Now Highway 1 around Big Sur is closed. Normally, at this time of year, this dream route is lined with one RV after another. The closure is not only a disappointment for tourists but also affects businesses and hotels that rely on the busy summer months to get through the quiet winter. There is also concern for many buildings of historical value, as Big Sur has always attracted artists like Henry Miller, in whose honor there is, for example, a library in Big Sur.
In May, there was already a fire in the mountains near Santa Cruz, which is only about an hour's drive south of San Francisco. As luck would have it, we were invited to a friend's place for the obligatory American barbecue about 10 miles from the fire zone. Since nothing really shocks us that easily, we went anyway and were able to watch the smoke and the repeatedly flaring flames all evening. If the forest fires continue like this, we might all soon have to help with extinguishing them, as the firefighters are slowly reaching their limits.