‘Starting to look a lot better’: Rain aids Mosquito fire battle, but brings flood, mudflow risk
The worst parts of this rain are gone (see “Rain helps battle Mosquito fire”)
The worst parts of this rain are gone.
Officials with the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) say they’re on top of the situation, thanks to a series of rainstorms they’re calling the “Garden of Eden.”
A “Garden of Eden” is an unusual event in California during which the combination of a rainstorm, warm temperatures or warm waters, and low humidity create the perfect climate for fires to burn.
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“It’s really hard to say the exact number of people affected by the fire, but we’re definitely finding out,” said state fire chief Mark Moench. “I don’t know if we’re looking at 300 to 400, but we may be looking at that many people.”
Moench told CNN that there are no official emergency warning sirens active for the area, but that the Cal OES and fire officials are working together to notify people of the fire and ask for their help to keep the fire from spreading too much.
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“We’ve never had a case like this where we had multiple fires in a fire district,” said Cal OES Deputy Chief Jeff Hill. “That’s why we have these wet conditions to encourage the fires to get out. We’re hoping it’s the first step for the entire region to go out.”
One reason Moench thinks the fire officials are making good progress is the moisture in the air.
“It’s a little warmer than it normally is here, but that’s what is creating a nice fire weather pattern,” he said. “This is the first time we’ve had a good fire weather pattern that has generated fires that get out quickly, so we need to get out and get out.”
More rain on the way
Moench said it’s too early to say how many people have been affected by the fire. He said the office of Emergency Services has been working the hardest because it’s dealing with the single largest wildfire in the state’s history.
“Last year, we had a fire in Ventura
