Garbelotto’s laboratory published a map this week pinpointing infestations, often in urban settings, stretching from Santa Barbara County to the Oregon border. The Sonoma County Hazard Mitigation Plan, issued in April, warns of increased fuel loads from trees killed by sudden oak death. The infections “were mostly in forested areas, but there was sudden oak death in almost every one of the big fires.” “Certainly when I look at the map I see a very obvious overlap with the incidence of sudden oak death and where the fires were,” Garbelotto said. In fact, Native Americans used to set fires and collect the acorns dropped by oak trees after the area had burned. Live oak trees are naturally resistant to fire. Neither Garbelotto nor fire officials know how much of an impact, if any, sudden oak death had on the fires, but dead oak burns well and keeps burning a long time. At least 42 people were killed in the Northern California fires, and recovery teams are still sifting through rubble for remains. The fires were so intense, experts say, that in Santa Rosa they produced fiery tornadoes that flipped cars, uprooted trees and ripped garage doors from their hinges. They say powerful winds that night in Napa and Sonoma counties propelled the blazes from wildlands into populated areas. Video: Lawrence Hall of Science, edited by UC Berkeleyįirefighters are still investigating what started the wildfires late on the evening of Oct. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Show More Show LessĪ time-lapse video taken from the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley shows the smoke and poor air quality over parts of the East Bay and San Francisco caused by the Wine Country fires. At least thirty one people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,500 homes and businesses in several Northern California counties. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) David McNew/Getty Images Show More Show Less 71 of98įirefighters try to extinguish a house fire during the Tubbs Fire on Octonear Calistoga, California. ![]() Thousands of homes have burned, at least 31 people confirmed killed with hundreds still missing as California wildfires continue to spread out of control. Inmate hand crews work under the supervision of Cal Fire, which refers to them as firefighters rather than prisoners because they perform the same job as the elite Hot Shot firefighter crews. The Puerta la Cruz female inmate firefighter crew clears vegetation near homes in Dry Creek Canyon to try to save them as the Partrick Fire approaches on Octowest of Napa, California.
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