Fire Journal Entry
New Blaze Burns Near Los Angeles (November 28, 2007)
Satellite image shows smoke rising from big fire near Malibu in Southern California. NASA.
Another big fire fueled by Santa Ana winds blazed out of control in Southern California this week. The fire charred over 5,000 acres and destroyed more than fifty homes near Malibu in the Los Angeles area.
Fiery winds reached speeds of over 75 mph (120 kmh) as about 1,800 firefighters battled the blaze. The fire comes on the heels of the disastrous blazes that struck Southern California last month.
The Santa Anas are hot and dry winds blowing across California from the eastern deserts in late-summer and fall. The winds circulate around strong high pressure areas in the hot desert then blow westward towards the ocean. Sweeping through narrow mountain gaps, the winds pick up speed and can quickly spread tiny sparks into huge blazes.
This year, the fire danger was unusually high in Southern California from bone-dry conditions. It's been one of the region's driest years in history. The state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection measured less than 10 percent moisture in vegetation this year. By comparison, kiln-dried lumber has a moisture level of about 12 percent.
