California faces risk of mudslides after wildfires

As the wildfires continue to rage in Southern California, experts say the state faces another natural disaster, mudslides.

The infernos have burnt away vegetation preventing the water from sinking more than a few inches into the ground, according to Yahoo. 

Apparently the soil above the waterproof layer can become saturated with one heavy bout of rainfall. 

Pictured here is the fire erupting across a Romero Canyon hillside in Montecito, California, north of Santa Barbara

‘Pretty much anywhere there’s a fire on a steep slope, there’s cause for concern,’ Jason Kean, research hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a telephone interview.

The so-called Thomas fire, one of several burning around the state, has burned over 900 structures, at least 700 of them homes. Another 18,000 buildings are under threat.

It has stretched across nearly 370 square miles of territory, consuming 236,000 acres, making it the fifth largest in state history. It is now over five times the size of the District of Columbia, which is 68 square miles.

Over 7,800 firefighters are working to hold back the blaze, which has now been 25 per cent contained. 

The sun, a deep red/orange from the smoke from the Thomas Fire, sets over an agricultural field in Santa Paula, California

The sun, a deep red/orange from the smoke from the Thomas Fire, sets over an agricultural field in Santa Paula, California

This satellite image taken on December 12, 2017, and released by NASA and NOAA, shows the Thomas Fire between Santa Barbara and Ventura, California.

This satellite image taken on December 12, 2017, and released by NASA and NOAA, shows the Thomas Fire between Santa Barbara and Ventura, California.

Carla D’Antonio, chairman of University of California, Santa Barbara’s environmental studies program, said ‘If we get hard rain, there are going to be terrible landslides in the burn areas.’

‘It doesn’t take a lot of rain to get the soil and rock moving, so to have burned soil on top of this and no significant plant cover creates huge potential for landslides,’ she added.

Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider said ‘We don’t see any rain in the immediate forecast, which is a curse and a blessing.’

‘We could use the water to fight the fire, but we don’t want some kind of big downpour that would cause significant mudslides so soon after the area’s been burnt to nothing.’

The Thomas Fire approaches a home on December 12, 2017 in Montecito, California

The Thomas Fire approaches a home on December 12, 2017 in Montecito, California

Fires burn across Romero Canyon hillside in Montecito, California, north of Santa Barbara

Fires burn across Romero Canyon hillside in Montecito, California, north of Santa Barbara

It’s been a week since southern California has been charred by a devastating wave of wildfires, blasted by almost hurricane force winds.It’s been a week since southern California has been charred by a devastating wave of wildfires, blasted by almost hurricane force winds. 

Other than Thomas, almost all are contained and the evacuation orders have already been lifted, with Los Angeles evacuating 150,000 people.

It still remains to be seen how much harm Thomas will do as the fire continues to grow.

In one week it wiped out 23,000 acres and ‘severe weather conditions’ could lead to ‘significant growth,’ according to the latest California firefighters bulletin.

A helicopter hovers over a reservoir to fill a bucket with water as the fight against a wildfire continues 

A helicopter hovers over a reservoir to fill a bucket with water as the fight against a wildfire continues 

 



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