Over the past two weeks, California has been hit with several intense wildfires, one starting in the town of Paradise, located in the northern part of the state, and one in the Malibu area in the southern part. The fires are seemingly unstoppable because of the fast foehn winds carrying scalding embers across long stretches of land. Residents of the Golden State have lost their possessions, homes and even their lives to the flames. Meanwhile, firefighters all over the state have joined together to take on the tremendous fires and help evacuate people in the area.

The fire overtaking Paradise, CA, which officials are calling “Camp fire”, has already scorched over 10,000 houses and 138,000 acres of land. This can in part be blamed on the extent of the drought in the area. It has been around 200 days since the town got “significant precipitation”, according to the New York Times.

The Woolsey fire, which is burning just outside of Los Angeles, has burned around 98,000 acres and destroyed 435 houses. The abundance of dry brush and grass in the areas, along with 30-40 mph winds, led to both fires starting and spreading extremely fast. The fires could have been started by anything from a power line falling from the strong California winds to someone dropping a cigarette butt or a spark from a power tool.

The exact causes of these fires will remain unknown until after the fires are successfully extinguished. California authorities will investigate by examining everything from trees to pebbles to find out which direction the scorch marks came from, and then pinpoint the exact spot of origin.

The town of Paradise, CA has been ravaged by wildfires before, but never to this extent. A full-scale evacuation occurred during Paradise’s last major fire in 2008. The narrow roads became clogged because of the surrounding canyons, creating a dangerous escape route. Hoping to prevent a similar situation during the Camp fire, state authorities evacuated those closest to the fires on the eastern side of Paradise first. However, the speed of the fire created an urgent situation for everyone in the town, so authorities ordered a full-scale evacuation a few days later. Although many Paradise residents didn’t receive an official government notice, many police officers assisted with additional communication. Another form of notice used was the CodeRed phone system, which covers all landlines. It does not reach all mobile phones though, preventing everyone from being notified, according to Los Angeles Times.

The damage and fatalities of the fires are continuing to increase as they spread through towns and small cities. With the two fires combined, there have been at least 79 casualties with hundreds of people unaccounted for and nearly 9,000 homes destroyed. In southern California, the Woolsey fire in Los Angeles and Ventura county has thus far scorched 98,362 acres, destroyed 435 structures and put 5,000 people in danger. The town of Beverly Hills has received the brunt of the fast-spreading fire; average and high-end homes alike have been left dismantled and burnt beyond recognition.

Another pressing concern is the large amount of smoke being released from the fires. The state of California is warning citizens even 100 miles away from the fire about the air pollution and dangerous smog from “Camp Fire”. The abundant smoke that has been produced has left a haze over many towns and has left their residents coughing and having to cover their mouths and noses just to walk in the streets.

The recent California wildfires have caused much pain and destruction. However, with the help of firefighters and the CodeRed system, many lives and properties have been saved. Rain has been forecast in the coming weeks in parts of northern California, which could aid firefighters in eventual containment.  Though much of both of the fires have been contained, the fires continue to scorch large stretches of land.